I Must Have Done Something Right Along The Way
by Luthiem Vardamir
Summary: When Quinn told Puck she was pregnant he knew their lives will always be connected, what he never knew was how his life will always be connected to Shelby Corcoran.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello shuckers, this my first Glee fanfic and obviously is a Shuck story. This one begins on season 1 before regionals, because I wanted to write about all the Beth's adoption scenes we didn't see, and also because as we all know they are a lot of plot holes around the whole Puck/Quinn/Beth storyline on season 2. I hope you'll like it. I wanna thank my amazing beta reader **_**BadassMotherShucker94 **_**for all the help she's giving me :) **

**Enjoy guys! and please leave a review!**

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><p><strong>I must have done something right along the way<strong>

**by: Luthiem Vardamir**

He still remembers the first time he saw her and wished he could change the situation that had brought them together.

There he was standing in Figgins' office with Finn, Artie, Mike and Mr. Schue. Everyone was upset and an awkward silence filled the room. Puck decided to look at the floor. He didn't want to make eye contact with anyone, especially Finn, who would start laughing, which would only cause more trouble.

Shelby Corcoran was standing next to Mr. Schue. She hadn't said a word since she arrived, but she looked upset. She crossed her arms and took a deep breath before starting to talking: "Your kids ripped the tires of my students Range Rovers, do you know how much they have to pay to replace them?" she explained, obviously angry, but without raising her voice.

"Shelby, I know they're sorry for what they did, right guys?" Mr Schue said, staring at the four guys. They didn't answer, because they weren't sorry. Even if they always seemed to hate Rachel, deep inside they did care for her, and they couldn't stand the fact that some other kids had hurt her.

"I'm not!" Finn confessed. "Rachel didn't deserved that, it doesn't matter how annoying she can be, what your kids did, Ms. Corcoran, was awful and we are _not_ sorry."

Mr Schue sighed, feeling disappointed.

Finally, after hearing what everyone had to say, Figgins decided to speak, "It doesn't matter William, what they did was vandalism, I have to suspend them." The awkward silence filled the room once again. Noah kept staring at his shoes, exchanging a few nervous glances with Artie and others with Finn, hoping their teacher would come up with a solution to their problem.

"If we get suspended does that mean the Vocal Adrenaline guys will get suspended too?" Artie asked.

Figgins shrugged "That is not our business, they are not McKinley High students."

Shelby sighed again, "Look, we can arrange something, right? It's not fair that they'll miss Regionals," she paused before smiling slightly, "After all, they are our only competition, if they don't go winning won't be the same," she joked.

"_Did she really just say that? I guess we know why Rachel is such a bitch sometimes, her mother is just like that."_ Thought Noah.

"Well Ms. Corcoran what do you suggest?" Figgins asked.

She smiled once again, "What if they change the tires for free?"

Puck raised his head "We can do that!"

Schue scratched the back of his head "I can talk to Burt Hummel, and you guys can fix the trucks there, how does that sound?" He wasn't sure about the suggestion, but it was easier than writing reports. "And, if Ms. Corcoran is fine with it, I guess the kids can repair the cars."

Puck and the others breathed a sigh of relief, and started to exit the office, when Mr. Schue stopped them, "Wait, apologize to Ms. Corcoran, all of you" he demanded. Finn grabed the doorknob tightly. He didn't want to do that especially since the Carmel studetns hadn't apologized to Rachel.

"We are sorry Miss C," Artie said. "We shouldn't have done that, we should have spoke to Mr. Schue about what happened to Rachel."

Shelby smiled, "I apologize to you as well, I have to admit my students started everything." She gave Finn a friendly pat on the shoulder, "And, good luck at Regionals."

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><p>"She's not that bad," Mike said, as they headed back to the choir room. "She kinda helped us."<p>

Puck and Artie nodded but Finn wasn't convinced about her. "I don't know guys I still don't like her," he admited looking at his shoes.

Rachel heard them talking outside and ran to towards them "Is everything ok?" she asked smiling.

Finn nodded "Yeah, we have to replace the tires for free but at least we didn't get suspended."

She hugged the four young men, "You shouldn't have done that."

"You guys better get back to the choir room before Figgins changes his mind," Puck said walking to his locker. "I'll be there in a sec, I forgot something."

Shelby was leaving the school when she saw Noah looking for something in his locker. They exchanged looks for a brief second before Puck deciced to say something: "Goodbye Miss Corcoran, and sorry about, you know, everything."

Shelby turned around, and smiled at him, "Goodbye Noah and please, behave."

Puck kept looking at her until she had left the building, "Damn she's hot," he said to himself, smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys chapter 2 is here! I'm so glad you liked my idea, I'm gonna try my best to publish one chapter per week, cause I know we all miss Idina on the show and is always good to have something to read I'll probably do it on mondays cause is the only day I don't have to go to college. If you see it takes me too long to update is probably because I have exams but I promise you won't be waiting for too long!

Thanks to everybody who left a review and to the ones who added this fic to their alerts subscription it means a lot to me. I wanna give a special shoutout to_**Cissy Black Malfoy**_ (your fanfic _"You and I"_ is incredible) _**cl-roxy, and Shuck4eva **_hope you guys enjoy this chapter. And thanks to my amazing Beta Reader _**BadassMotherShucker94**_.

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><p><strong>Chapter II<strong>

Shelby arrived at Burt Hummel's shop and saw Noah replacing the tires of the Range Rovers, but she was surprised to find him alone, she expected to see the other guys from New Directions with him.

"He's working extra, he needs the money." Shelby turned around and found a man of a similar age as her smiling, "I'm Burt Hummel, nice to meet you Miss. Corcoran."

Shelby's eyes widened a bit, she was surprised that man knew who she was "How do you know who I am?" she finally asked.

Burt chuckled and shook his head "Well, Puck mentioned that you're Rachel's mother, and you look just like her."

"Well it's nice to meet you too, Mr. Hummel," smiled Shelby, as they exchanged a handshake.

"Call me Burt," he insisted, which made her smile more.

"Only if you call me Shelby," she replied.

"Let's go inside, there's no need for you to stay here. Noah's a good kid he won't do anything to the trucks." He guided her into his little office on the other side of the shop.

They stayed inside talking while Puck finished his work. Shelby was impressed by the way Burt talked about Kurt, he was so proud of his son. She could just see it in his eyes that he really loved him. She expected to talk that way about Rachel some day, but the truth was they didn't have that type of relationship and she didn't know if they would ever have it.

The conversation was interrupted when Burt's cellphone began to ring; he excused himself as he left the room. A client needed his help on the road, but he assured he'd come back soon.

Shelby looked outside and saw Quinn, who was arriving at the shop looking upset, but what really shocked Shelby was her body, she forgot the girl was pregnant, and now it was visibly obvious.

Shelby suddenly felt jealous of her; she never understood how life could be so unfair sometimes. There she was trying to create a bond with her daughter because she couldn't have any more kids. She just wanted to feel that miracle of having baby growing inside of her.

She pulled of her thoughts when she heard the sound of some tools hitting the floor. It was Noah; he and Quinn were arguing. Shelby didn't want to listen but it was impossible not to hear what was being said:

"Well I'm sorry for trying to earn money for our baby" he yelled.

Quinn started to laugh sarcastically "You think working here will pay for all the things we need?"

Puck sighed, he knew she was right but she didn't seemed to notice how hard he was working and that pissed him off. He walked closer, "I know it's not much," he tried to hug her but she backed from him.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, all her frustrations bring released with those three words.

Noah lost it, he started to kick all the tools infront of him. He wanted to punch a wall. He was frustrated; he tried to understand Quinn and be patient with her because she was having a hard time, but sometimes he just lost control. "Jeez Quinn, I know ok? I know I screwed up everything I'm just trying to do the best I can try to understand!" he yelled.

Quinn sighed trying to calm herself. "Look I'm going to stay with Mercedes" she started "That way you can go back to your room and stop sleeping on the couch."

He nodded "Yeah, maybe some space between us, is for the best."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said before leaving.

Puck stood there in silence just thinking about how each day that passed meant the baby's arrival was creeping closer and they still didn't have a crib. "What about the house," he said to no one in particular "Bottles, diapers, insurance, toys, clothes, school, even college." Puck found himself choked by his own responsibilities. He sat down on the floor and buried his face in his hands.

Shelby walked in as quietly as she could, she didn't want to disturb the young man. As she gently patted his shoulder, Noah lifted up his face and Shelby couldn't help but gasp when she saw tears forming in his eyes.

"Miss Corcoran I…" he sniffed "I'll fix the trucks right away don't worry" he said, wiping his tears and hoping she hadn't see them.

"Noah don't, I want to talk to you" she guided him to a bench outside and they sat in an awkward silence. Puck didn't want to look at her, he felt ashamed like when he was a little kid and he was waiting for his teacher to talk to him.

"I couldn't help but listen to your... " she paused "Conversation with Quinn."

He shrugged "Sorry about that, she's very sensitive these days." Shelby nodded trying to hide her nervousness. She didn't even know this kid and she was about to ask him some very personal questions.

"How far along is she?" she began.

"Three months" She could hear the worry in is voice as he blurted the words.

"Look Noah are you sure you want to raise a child?"

Puck stood up and stared at her, he looked angry like he was going to yell again, but he didn't, he just put his hands on his pockets "I want to, I really do but I know I'll just make her life miserable. Quinn and I don't even get along, we're always fighting."

Shelby tried to speak but he cut her off, "My biggest fear isn't not being able to give Beth what she needs, I'll work hard if I have to, but I'm afraid that she'll grow up in a family that doesn't love each other, I don't want her to live what I've been through" he confessed.

Shelby's heart melted when she heard the baby's name. It was a girl and she had always wanted another one. Then she looked at Noah, so young and so scared of everything he will have to face over the coming years. "Have you considered giving the baby for adoption?" she asked.

Puck sat down again and sighed, "I have, but Quinn wants to keep her."

"You are so young, you have your whole life ahead of you," Shelby reasoned.

"I'll sacrifice everything for her I wouldn't care" Puck interrupted her.

Shelby raised an eyebrow "senior year? College? You're only young once"

"Why are you asking this anyway?" the question caught Shelby off guard, but she had her answer ready. She put her hand on one of his knees, "I know you don't know me but if you and Quinn ever consider giving Beth up for adoption I would love to take her," she confessed looking at her skirt. Puck remained silent, trying to process what he had just heard.

"I could provide her with everything she'd need and we could arrange something so you and Quinn can see her" she continued.

Puck ran his hand through his Mohawk, "I don't know," he admitted shyly.

Shelby nodded; she understood to him it was a lot of information to take in; she had experienced it herself years ago. She looked for a card in her purse and handed it to him

"Talk to Quinn and if you decide to give me a chance, call me and the three of us can talk," Shelby stated simply, feeling this was a good place to end their conversation so that she didn't push Noah too far.

Before Puck could say anything else she was already getting inside her car.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, reviews are free so it's ok to leave one!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Hello everybody is Monday and as I promised chapter 3 is here! Hope you'll like it, so Glee returns tomorrow are you excited? I am, well not as much as I should because Idina won't be on the episode and they probably won't mention Shelby at all… did you watched the GG last night? Modern Family won! They totally deserved it

There's something I want to ask you: do you want me to write Puck and Shelby's interaction during season 2? Or would you prefer to jump the story straight to season 3 after the adoption? you are the readers so your opinions are the most important to me!

Specials thanks to my amazing Beta Reader **BadAssMotherShucker94 **she helps me getting this fanfic readable for you!

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><p><strong>Chapter III<strong>

Quinn was sitting at the Lima Bean; she was staring compulsively at the door checking every single person who was entering the place. She nervously tapped her shoes on the floor and bit her finger nails. She hate doing the last one, it was an awful habit she had picked up when she attended her old High School, it was the only way to keep her mind distracted from the bullies.

Puck gently reached out for her hand and began to rub circles on it with his thumb. "Relax, we're just going to have coffee with her, it doesn't mean we have to decide anything yet" he assured her smiling. Quinn nodded and returned his smile.

"Don't you think is a little weird?" she asked. Puck stared at her confused before she continued, "I mean she's Rachel's mother and she wants to adopt our baby."

Noah began to think about the whole scenario and he couldn't help but laugh "It does kind of seems like a bad soap opera!"

"And Rachel will be the left out daughter who is desperately searching for her mother" Quinn added, laughing at their private joke.

Shelby entered to the coffee shop and searched for the two teenagers. She spot them joking at a table near the back of the place. She smiled at the picture, seeing they could get along sometimes, but especially because they looked like two normal, carefree teenagers. She walked over to the table and cleared her throat:

"Hi guys"

"Hey" they answered back as Puck got up from his chair and gave it to Shelby "Sit down Miss. Corcoran, I'll look for another one."

"_Who could tell the same kid who ruined those tires could be a gentleman," _thought Shelby.

"Well thank you Noah, and please call me Shelby, that goes for you too." She said looking at Quinn.

When Puck returned they decided to order some drinks before starting the conversation. Once the drinks had been served Shelby took a sip from her coffee before talking:

"So, what do you want to know?" she asked fixing some of her hair behind her ears.

Noah remained silent; he didn't know what to ask her. When Quinn noticed his blank stare she decided to speak: "Why us? I mean there's a lot of adoption agencies out there."

"People usually think that adopting a baby is as easy as adopting a pet, but it's not" she explained. "You could be waiting for months before someone decides to consider you as a potential parent to their child. I thought that talking to you is a better option, at least if you don't want me to be Beth's mother I'll know it faster."

Puck still looked confused "But Shelby wouldn't it easier just to have another baby, biologically?"

She smiled but her eyes showed her true feelings: "I can't have anymore children; that's why I'm trying to adopt and that's also the reason why I decided to look for Rachel," she finally confessed, avoiding making eye contact with them.

They didn't say a word for a couple of minutes. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have…" Puck began but Shelby cut over him:

"It's fine really" she assured him with a soft voice.

"Don't get shy, you two ask more things. I don't bite, don't believe those rumors you've heard about me" she joked, which gave Puck and Quinn a bit more confidence.

Quinn started to think about another question while she was drinking her lemonade:

"I got one," she said through sips. "What about your job? We know being the coach of Vocal Adrenaline takes up a lot of your time. Will you be able to take care of a newborn?"

"Don't worry about that, this is my last year as the show choir of Carmel High". She paused before continuing, "And before you ask I have enough savings to provide Beth with everything she'll need."

Noah started to play with his tea mug; Shelby noticed he was thinking about something, she assumed he was trying to find the best way to ask a question "Is there anything you want to know Noah?"

He looked at her firmly and took a deep breath, "What about the father? Is Beth going to have a dad?"

Shelby suddenly felt embarrassed about the question, but it was a fair one. She lowered her gaze a bit and played with her hair again: "No, I'm not seeing anyone right now and I wouldn't introduce her to every guy I'd met, that would be a mistake."

As they kept talking about other things, Shelby told them about her family. She mentioned she had an older brother who was married and had twins who were 2 years old. She talked about her mother and father and how they have an amazing relationship. She wanted to assured them that Beth would grow up around a loving family.

Puck started to get comfortable with the idea of Shelby adopting his baby girl as was Quinn but there was something they still wanted to know:

"Shelby there is one last thing we want to be sure about" Quinn started. Noah noticed her nervousness and instinctively grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Are we going to be able to see pictures of her, send her gifts or call her?"

Shelby smiled at them "Of course you can, and you can see her too." She paused, "I wouldn't like seeing Beth wondering about her biological parents as Rachel did, I want you to be part of her life."

Quinn looked uncomfortable about the suggestion of seeing the baby, but Puck couldn't be happier and Shelby noticed it "It's perfectly normal if you don't want to see her at first, I know how hard it is to say goodbye to your daughter. So whenever you feel ready to see her I'd be happy to visit you."

"I think we'd like to begin with some pictures and videos." Quinn admitted

Shelby nodded; she understood her so she was fine with her choice for now "If that makes you comfortable with the adoption I wouldn't have any problem to accept it"

As the time passed Puck realized that Shelby wasn't the cold woman he thought she'd be. She was entirely the opposite; she was a warm and caring person not to mention a beautiful woman. He couldn't understand how she didn't have a boyfriend. But, most importantly he was sure she'd be an amazing mother to Beth. He actually felt bad for Rachel because she deserved to see that side of her mother. He could only hope they'd bond eventually. He returned to the conversation when he heard Quinn yawning.

"Need a ride home?" he asked but she shook her head.

"Mercedes and her mom are waiting for me across the street" She got up "I should get going. Goodbye Shelby, we can meet up for another coffee soon and we'll let you know about our decision."

Shelby got up and gave the girl a short hug "Take care of yourself and the baby."

After Quinn left the Lima Bean Puck pulled out his cellphone and started to send a text message.

"Are you staying Noah?" Shelby asked.

He put his cellphone on the table and nodded "Yeah I'm meeting someone here." He saw her getting some money out of her wallet "Don't worry about that I'll pay"

Shelby put her hands on her hips "Well, thank you Noah but the next one is on me" she said with a smile.

He got up from his chair and extended his hand "I'll see you soon."

She returned the handshake "I'm sure you will."

They maintained eye contact with each other until Puck saw his date arriving, "Over here sis!" he said waving.

Shelby saw a girl about 14, who had the same dark brown hair and green eyes as Noah. She hugged him and then turned to face her.

"I'm Hannah Puckerman, nice to meet you." she said smiling

"Shelby Corcoran, nice to meet you too." she replied shaking her hand.

Once the introduction was over Shelby decide to leave them. She was surprised, for a minute she thought Noah was meeting a date but she was wrong. Now she was sure of one thing about the young man: his first priority was his family.

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><p><strong>Love, hate or even if you want to throw me tomatoes... you can all send it in a review, take care!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Thank you for your suggestions about how to add a couple of season two moments on this story, I've decided to add two chapters, and yes there's going to be a lot of Shuck love on them. Special shoutout to: **bforethesunsets **who found my story on tumblr! And to my newest reviewer **Shuck fanatic. **Special thanks to my awesome beta reader **BadAssMotherShucker94**

And since I forgot to add this at the beginning I better do it now.

**Disclaimer:** Glee is property of Ryan Murphy Television and 20th Century Fox. All characters, places, and recognizable names herein have been borrowed for the use of this fanfiction.

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><p><strong>Chapter IV<strong>

The music of "Bohemian Rhapsody" was blasting around the walls of Carmel High's auditorium. The members of Vocal Adrenaline were practicing their number for Regionals, and Shelby was watching them from the audience seats.

She had mixed feelings; on one hand she was happy that it was her last year coaching them, but on the other she was going to miss them, she cared for those kids, for each one of them. People thought she didn't because of the way she treated them sometimes, but what they never saw was how they share other moments besides those exhausting rehearsals.

She kept watching her students with awe; she realized a long time ago that they didn't need her anymore and that made her smile with pride and joy. Shelby knew her kids were now ready to perform outside of high school.

But, the real reason she was watching the rehearsal was because she needed to keep her mind distracted. It had been two weeks since she had met with Noah and Quinn and they hadn't contacted her yet, she was getting anxious and she feared the worst.

"Hey Shelby are you with us?" asked a familiar voice, she pulled herself out of her thoughts when she noticed Jesse waving at her with a concerned look on his face.

Shelby smiled and nodded "Sorry if I looked lost for a second, but don't worry everything is perfect, we won't have any troubles at the competition" she said on the microphone.

Jesse gave a few final orders to the group before dismissed them, and since it was still early he decided to go and talk to his coach before going home.

"We know how nervous you are, you know? We've been crossing our fingers for you" he told her, taking a seat beside her.

Shelby didn't answer; instead she just looked for her cellphone and checked the screen for what it felt like the billionth time that day. She sighed, feeling frustrated.

Jesse looked at her, and gave her friendly pat on the shoulder "I'm going to miss you" she finally said.

The young man smiled "I'm going to miss you too, I don't think I'll ever have another coach as good as you" he paused "Although I won't be gone for too long, because I'm going to be Beth's uncle."

Shelby's eyes widened before she started laughing, "I won't take a no for an answer" he insisted.

"Fine" she said giving up.

"Everything's going to be okay, they could call at any…." He stopped talking when they heard the sound of Shelby's cellphone. It was a text message from Noah _"Meet me at the Lima Bean for coffee?"_ it said.

Shelby felt her hands shaking, when Jesse noticed it he grabbed the phone from her hands and typed _"Sure I'm on my way"_ as fast as he could, then he turned to face her and gently shook her from her shoulders.

"You need to go now!" he said to her raising his voice a little bit. Shelby nodded and picked up her stuff before leaving the auditorium.

"Good luck!" yelled Jesse when she was as almost outside, she turned around and smiled at him.

On the way to the Lima Bean Shelby tried to stay calm, but it was very hard for her. She kept wondering why she was going to meet just Noah, she found it odd. As she was arriving she took deep breaths to compose herself. She entered the coffee shop and found the teenager siting on the same table from their last encounter. He looked serious, almost upset.

She walked closer to him "Hi Noah" he smiled a bit before getting up.

"Hi Shelby" he answered as he shyly gestured her to sit down first.

A waitress came up with two orders "Tea for the young man" she said as she put the mug on the table.

"And for you Miss, a latte" Shelby was impressed "How did you know?" she asked looking at him.

Puck just shrugged "I remember your order from the last time and I asked her to bring it when I saw you entering" he explained.

"Thank you" she said as she started to drink her coffee.

"Where's Quinn?" She asked.

"She was feeling tired, so I let her rest and came alone."

Shelby nodded and fixed some of her hair behind her ears "So how's Glee club? Are you guys ready for regionals?" she started trying to sound as calm as she could, but Puck could see how impatient she was.

"You don't need to do that, let's cut to the chase alright?"

He pulled out his cellphone from one on his pockets and dialed a number before setting the speaker.

"Hello?" answered Quinn.

"Hey Q' it's Puck and Shelby" he said back.

"Oh, how are you Shelby?"

Shelby started to laugh a little "Nervous" she finally admitted.

"Don't be" the young women assured her.

"We have good news for you" Puck continued.

Shelby gasped and started to feel tears forming on her eyes, she knew what they were going to say, but she needed to hear it anyway.

"We want you to be Beth's mother" said the two teenagers at once.

Shelby was speechless, she was so happy that she didn't feel the tears slipping down her cheeks "Quinn thank you so much, I just wish I could hug you right now" she confessed.

Quinn laughed again "It's fine, you can hug Puck though he was the one who convinced me" Shelby stared at him shocked, and he just shrugged and smiled at her.

"Guys I'm gonna hang up, and Shelby, I'll see you really soon okay? Said Quinn.

Shelby nodded "Bye Quinn"

The table stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, there were a lot of emotions going around the minds of Noah and Shelby, but she decided to break the silence after she cleared her mind. "You choose me." she said quietly.

Puck nodded as he handed some napkins to her "Yeah, you deserve this opportunity, and I choose you also because you want me and Quinn to be part of Beth's life. Not everybody will agree to do that" he explained.

"Thank you Noah" she sniffed and wiped some of the tear stains from her face, then she got up from her chair "Can I?" she asked him gesturing a hug.

Puck stared at her for a couple of seconds before getting up to hug her. He felt strange when he touched her body; it was like a mix of electricity and something else running through his body. He liked it.

They sat down again and talked about other things for a while. Puck gave her a photo of Quinn's latest sonogram and Shelby started to cry again. She couldn't believe she was going to have a beautiful baby girl, she couldn't believe she was finally going to be a mom.

Upon finishing their third drink, and deciding to leave the coffee shop, Puck insisted on walking Shelby to her car. Arriving at her car, he just looked straight into her eyes with a lopsided grin on his face.

"I don't think I'll be able to thank you enough" Shelby said.

"Just promise me, you'll give her all the love she'll need" he answered.

Shelby nodded "I give you my word" Puck smiled at her again and extended his hand.

"See you at regionals" he said with a hint of nervousness on his voice.

Shelby shook her head smiling, and hugged him again, and after breaking the embrace she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, "See you at regionals." she replied before getting on her car.

Puck stood in the parking lot watching the car until it was no longer visible; it was at that moment when he brushed his cheek with his fingers.

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><p><strong>Next chapter is the adoption is going to be a really bittersweet goodbye for most of the characters, but until then you can leave a review on this one.<strong>

**Take care, and I wish everybody a great week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **It's Monday and chapter 5 is here! I hope you'll enjoy it. Also I wanna let you know that I'm finishing my semester right now and I have finals and all that, so I might no be able to update next Monday, in case that happens I'm going two update my two chapters of season 2 sometime next week!

As always I want to thank my amazing Beta Reader _**BadAssMotherShucker94**_ you fixed this chapter so well, it's my favorite so far! also thanks to all my loyal reviewers! you are the best.

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><p><strong>Chapter V<strong>

Rachel arrived at the hospital still sad about losing regionals, but she tried to put her best smile on her face for Puck and Quinn, because compared to giving your daughter up for adoption, losing a show choir competition looks kind of stupid.

She went to the second floor and found Puck sleeping on a chair with his sister. She quietly walked up to him so she could ask him where Quinn's room was, but someone stopped her by lightly grabbing her arm.

"Let him rest, he had a rough day." Rachel's eyes widened, she recognized the voice, it was Shelby's.

"What are you doing here?" she asked without facing her.

Shelby felt her heart break when she heard the anger in her daughter's voice, "Please let me explain." Shelby begged, but Rachel didn't want to listen.

"I understand everything, since you don't want to be my mother you searched for a newer model." Rachel whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Is this the reason you began looking for me? So you could get closer to Puck and Quinn?" she asked, her voice beginning to waver.

Shelby shook her head, she couldn't talk cause she was trying so hard to not cry, "Please just listen to me" she began, but Rachel started to leave.

Puck, who was now fully awake, got up quietly to not wake his sister and ran after her. He caught up with Rachel at the elevator, and gave her a tissue so she could wipe her tears.

"Thanks" she whispered.

"Rachel, give her a chance" he suggested but she shook her head. "Look, I understand how she feels, I know that pain because…" he sighed "Ever since I held Beth for the first time, I knew that saying goodbye to her will be one of the hardest things I'll ever have to do." Puck gave her a sad puppy look, and she started to laugh.

"Fine." she said heading back to the waiting room with him. Leaving Rachel and Shelby to talk it out, Puck went to another hall, so they could have some privacy.

Rachel sat down next to Shelby and sniffed a little "Well, tell me what happened." she demanded.

Shelby tried to wrap her arm around Rachel's shoulders, but she backed away from her touch, so she decided to keep her hands on her skirt for a while.

"Noah and Quinn chose me to adopt Beth a few weeks ago, I first started talking to them after the incident with Range Rovers" she explained. Rachel remained silent, and Shelby decided to make the most of that opportunity because once that girl started talking she wouldn't be able to stop her.

"Rachel you're my daughter and nothing will ever change that" she said as she began to clean Rachel's tear-stained face. "I gave birth to you, I was the first person you ever saw." she paused and grabbed Rachel's hands "And if you let me we can try this whole mother and daughter thing, what do you say?"

Rachel gave her a shy nod, but was still avoiding her mother's gaze. "Good, but even if we begin to bond that doesn't change the fact that I missed a lot of important moments in your childhood; I never saw you take your first steps or heard your first words…"

With those words, Rachel finally understood Shelby's actions "And that's why want to adopt Beth." she said looking straight into her mother's eyes.

Shelby smiled at her and fixed some of Rachel's hair "Exactly."

Rachel began to cry again and hugged Shelby tightly. "I'm so sorry" she sobbed.

Shelby just smiled and rubbed comforting circles on her back "It's okay sweetie."

Meanwhile, at the new-born nursery, Puck and Quinn were looking at their daughter.

"She's beautiful" she said.

"No" he replied with a cold tone "You are beautiful, Rachel is beautiful but Beth... is perfect" he stated without taking his eyes away from his baby.

"Do you love me?" she asked him.

"Yes, especially now" he admitted, causing Quinn to sigh.

"Puck this thing – us - it won't work, it never started, it was just a fling." She explained, hoping he would understand.

"I know Quinn." He paused. "But a part of me will always love you, because we created that perfect little thing." he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"I feel the same way." she said leaning her head on his shoulders.

After a few more minutes Quinn started to feel tired and went back to her room. Puck felt exhausted too, but he knew he could rest as much as he wanted after Shelby and Beth leave, so he just stayed there, with his forehead glued to the glass. He wanted to remember every single detail about his baby girl. He was so focused on her that he didn't notice when Shelby joined him, looking a little teary-eyed but happy nevertheless.

"I guess you two worked things out." said Noah without taking his eyes from Beth.

"Yes, we arranged some visits over the summer. It's going to take a while but I think we'll bond eventually." Noah didn't reply. "Thank you for running after her" she continued.

He turned to face her and put his hands in his pockets "Rachel tried to fool herself saying she doesn't need you, but she does" he said, looking straight into her eyes. "And now I understand how you feel Shelby, this pain, it's awful and I don't blame you for trying to build a relationship with her now, if I was in your position I'd do the same."

Shelby was impressed by Noah's words and actions. She was now seeing the real him and he was something special. She decided to leave him alone, but when she started to walk away he called her back.

So, she stayed and they watched Beth sleep soundly in silence, but it didn't feel uncomfortable for them.

Two days later Quinn was ready to be discharged from the hospital, and since Beth was going to be staying a few more days because she was born a little early, she and Puck knew that it was time to say goodbye to their daughter.

After the doctor said it was ok for Quinn to leave a nurse arrived with the baby. Quinn held her for a while and so did Puck and once their moms had taken enough pictures of them, they left the teenagers alone so they could share a private moment. Once the door was closed Quinn began to sob.

"I'm going to miss you so much, I'm sorry things couldn't be different." she said as she kissed the baby's forehead. Puck hugged her from the shoulders and kissed her cheek.

"We love you Bethie, don't you ever believe we don't" Puck said with a cracked voice.

A knock on the door interrupted them. It was Shelby with Megan; the lady from the adoption agency. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"No" Quinn answered "But we don't have another option" she joked.

Megan handed them the adoption documents, which they signed. Quinn kissed Beth one last time before Noah held her "See you later Bethie." he whispered with tears in his eyes as he passed the baby to Shelby.

Shelby remained silent for a moment, getting used to the feeling, before finally whispering "Hi Beth, I'm your mommy" to her daughter. Noah and Quinn smiled sadly before leaving the room; they knew they had made the right choice but that didn't make it any less painful.

That was it, they left the hospital and each going their separate ways. Noah spent the next few days resting at his house, he wasn't that tired but he didn't feel like seeing his friends. It had been a really sad week for the young man, first saying goodbye to Beth, then losing Glee Club. He sighed and went to bury his face in his pillows, until he saw a small bag with a ribbon on it.

"Shit!" he said getting up from the bed.

He opened the bag and looked at the gift _"Maybe it's not too late" _he thought, hoping he was right.

Puck got into his truck and drove to the hospital, parked up and he ran straight to the reception desk.

"Beth Puck… sorry, Corcoran" he asked.

The nurse checked on the computer and gave him a sad look "Sorry you just missed them, maybe you can catch them at the parking lot."

He nodded and thanked her. When he arrived in the parking lot he found Rachel and Shelby talking next to Shelby's car. He backed away a bit to give them some privacy; he didn't want to ruin their goodbye. After Rachel had left he walked up to the car.

"Hi Shelby," he said, flashing her a smile.

She smiled back at him "Hello Noah."

Puck began to feel nervous around her, and he didn't understand why, so he just handed the gift to her, "This is for Beth I bought it when Quinn told me she was pregnant. It was going to be a way of telling her that I wanted to start a family with her, but she decided to choose Finn... and well you don't need to know that." he muttered.

Shelby smiled as she opened the bag. Noah's gift was a beautiful pink blanket, with a stuffed animal on it. "You didn't know it was going to be a girl but still bought a pink one?" she said.

Puck laughed, "I had a feeling it was going to be a girl." He paused, "There's also a video that Quinn and I made for her."

"Would you like to say goodbye to her again?" she asked him, but he shook his head.

"It's ok" he said as Shelby nodded, understanding that he had his reasons.

"You have my phone and email, and I have yours, so, we'll talk soon" she said, wanting to make sure Noah knew he wasn't saying goodbye to his daughter forever.

Noah looked through the car's window and saw Beth sleeping, "Yeah we'll talk soon."

When Shelby heard the sadness in his voice she knew she had to do it. She walked up to him and gave him a comforting hug.

"_There is it again,"_ thought Noah when he felt a shock of electricity running through his spine as his body made contact with Shelby's.

"Goodbye Noah," said Shelby, before kissing him on the cheek.

"See you later Shelby" he replied, trying to keep his emotions from spilling over.

She got inside her car and began to leave, as did Noah, when his cellphone began to ring. It was Mr. Schue; he had a surprise for the Glee club, and wanted his help.

"Sure I'll help you Mr. Schue," said Noah as he began driving to his school.

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><p>If you guys leave me reviews I might hate Mondays a little less, even if it's just an "update soon"<p>

Take care, and have a nice week :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Hey everybody my semester is finally over so I'm back! With chapter 6 is longer than usual and I hope you'll like it's not my favorite I think is boring but you guys have the final opinion.

Also did you watch last night's episode any thoughts? Like it, hate it? I'm thorn; anway… I'm rambling go and read! And as always thanks to my great beta reader _**BadAssMotherShucker94**_

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><p><strong>Chapter VI<strong>

It was nearly October, which could only mean one thing in the Puckerman household; Noah's birthday was just around the corner. His sister, Hannah, was looking for the best gift possible for him, but she was having a hard time because every time she asked him what he wanted, he kept answering "Nothing."

The young girl sighed as she sat at the kitchen table; she had started to pour some cereal for herself when Noah joined her.

"Morning Han," he said with scratchy voice. "Could you pour me some of that?"

Hannah nodded and gave him a bowl. They began by eating in silence until she spoke: "Do you really not want anything for your birthday this year?" she asked, surprised because he always asked for something, usually a new video game or something for his guitar.

Noah shrugged and kept eating "Well there's something I really want," he admitted, "But it's something you can't get me so…"

"You don't know that! Remember I'm the smart one!" she interrupted.

Puck began to laugh. She was right, she was very smart and very mature for her age: "I want to see Beth, and…" he trailed off, not sure if he should tell his sister about his little crush on Shelby. It first began to develop a few months after she and Beth left Lima; they started to email each other frequently. Emails had become phone and Skype calls so he could see Beth, and there had also been the occasional text message.

She made him feel different because she actually listened to him. It wasn't like when he talked to Quinn and he knew she wasn't paying attention. Puck loved the way she smiled, he loved her very contagious laugh, and the way she was with Beth just made his heart melt. They had stopped talking for a while because she was busy with her job, but he really missed his girls. _"Should I think of them in that way?" _ He thought.

"And?" Hannah repeated with a quizzical look on her face.

"And there's no chance you're buying me a ticket to New York, even if you had the money I wouldn't let you." he stated, getting up from the table to get more cereal.

Later that day Puck was at school planning his birthday with Finn. He really couldn't be happier that he and Finn had solved everything. Finn was like his brother and if he had lost that friendship, it would have been something Puck would have always regretted.

"So what do you want to do? Go to a club or a bar?" asked Finn.

Puck shook his head. "What about the beach?" he suggested, "We can camp and see my birthday in there, cause you know I always spend my birthday with my mom and Hannah." he reminded to his friend.

Finn stayed quiet, thinking about the idea. "We could ask the girls if they want to come too." Puck added with a grin on his face.

Finn nodded, smiling. "Yeah, alright it's a plan! Now let's finish these questions before the bell rings."

Meanwhile in New York, Shelby was taking care of Beth. She was pleased she was getting used to the routine involved with being a mother. It had been hard for her at first because she could barely take care of herself when she lived alone, and was a completely workaholic, but now she knew that she needed to run her life according to her daughter.

She had found a nice job; she was directing a small theater company. The pay was really good, and she had had a lot of help from her family too; her mom had actually stayed in New York for a couple of weeks just to make sure Shelby was coping.

As for Rachel, they talked every week. Shelby was glad that her daughter finally felt comfortable around her. She loved being her friend, because she knew Rachel needed someone who would actually listen to her without complaining or asking her to shut up.

Shelby walked into Beth's room and picked up the crying baby. Shelby could swear her little girl was getting more and more beautiful each day. She sat down with her on a rocking chair and began to hum a song.

"You are so precious," she whispered, "I'm pretty sure you're going to look just like Quinn." she paused "And maybe you'll have some things of Noah too."

Beth stopped crying and sniffed a little bit. Shelby smiled and kept humming soft tunes in her baby's ears until she fell asleep. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes until Shelby heard her cellphone ring in the living room. She quietly got up and put Beth back in her crib.

She went to grab her phone and realized she didn't recognize the number. "Hello?" she asked.

"Um, hi is this Ms. Corcoran?" asked a young voice.

"Yes, this is she and you are?" she replied with a cold tone.

"I'm Hannah Puckerman, I'm sorry to bother…"

"Hello Hannah! You're not bothering me at all, sorry if I sounded rude, is Noah okay?" Shelby asked, all suspicions disappearing from her mind.

Hannah smiled, "He's fine, his birthday is next week actually." the young girl paused slightly before continuing, "And he told me he would really like to see Beth. I know right now is hard for you two to come to Lima, so I was wondering if you and Beth could help me with the gift I'm planning to do for him?" she explained hoping Shelby wouldn't mind.

Shelby listened to the younger Puckerman sibling carefully and happily agreed to collaborate on the gift. She wrote Hannah's email address on the notepad next to the telephone, before saying goodbye to her. She sighed and sat down on the sofa. She ran her hands through her hair; she missed talking to Noah, he was patient and sweet with her and she loved how he couldn't stop listening to her talk about Beth, in fact, he always kept asking more things about the baby. Shelby didn't know what was it specifically, but there was definitely something about Noah Puckerman that made her let her guard down, and just be herself. She began to remember their last conversation over the phone and she couldn't help but blush.

_Flashback_

Shelby's brother David and his wife Sarah had taken Beth with them for the day so she could have some time for herself, but Shelby was extremely bored. Without Beth in the apartment everything felt oddly quiet. She decided to turn on her laptop and send some emails to Jesse. She missed talking to him and despite their lack of verbal communication, he had sent gifts to her and Beth, and wrote at least one email per week to Shelby.

She started to type when her cellphone rang; she smiled when she read the name on the screen. "Hello?" she answered casually, trying to sound, as though she didn't know who was calling.

"Hi Shelby, it's Puck," he said shyly which made her smile even more.

"I know" she joked, "How are you? It's been a while since we last spoke."

Puck rested his back against the wall next to his bed "Yeah I've been busy with school, and also I didn't want to bother cause I know you have a lot of things to do."

Shelby closed her laptop and got more comfortable on her bed. "It's good to hear you're focusing on school you are really smart, Rachel told me that you also run your own pool cleaning business."

He chuckled, "I'm not smart, I'm just finding ways to earn some money."

"Still Noah, it's very impressive." Insisted Shelby, hating the way he was constantly putting himself down.

Puck noticed how everything seemed so quiet on the other line, and how Shelby's voice sounded calmer than usual: "Is Beth sleeping?" he asked.

"No, she's with her uncle David and auntie Sarah, they insisted I could use some _me_ time," explained Shelby.

"But you're just bored." he said, finishing her sentence which made her laugh.

"_I love her laugh, it's so genuine,"_ he thought.

"And how come you are still at your place?" Puck asked.

"How do you know that?" she teased.

"Well everything's very quiet so I'm just assuming" he replied a small smile on his face.

"And you say you are not smart." she paused. "I don't know I just didn't feel like going out and I decided to stay here resting."

"I thought you might have a date" he blurted out, immediately wanting to kick himself for saying something like that.

"No, I don't have time for anything like that. Anyway, I doubt I could find someone who wouldn't mind getting in a relationship with a single mother, besides I always seem to look like a mess lately" she replied.

"Oh C'mon Shelby," he said. "I bet you look stunning, any man would be lucky to have you, to have both of you." he said with a really enchanting tone.

Shelby bite her lip slightly, _"Damn he's charming," _she thought as she laughed nervously and played with her hair. She felt relieved he couldn't see her because she could felt her cheeks turning pink.

_End of Flashback_

"_You look stunning, any man would be lucky to have you, to have both of you." _

Shelby smiled at the memory and set a new reminder on her cellphone, not wanting to forget Noah's birthday.

A few later, Puck and the rest of the Glee kids were ready to go to the beach. Puck was happy they could spend some time together as a group outside of school and relax. Everybody seemed to be really worried lately, especially after all the drama with Kurt and the bullies had begun.

Puck, Finn and Sam set the tents up while the rest of the Glee Clubbers started the fire and organized the food. Once everything was ready, Puck took off his shirt and looked at Santana with a devilish look on his face.

"Don't you dare Puckerman!" she warned him, but before she could keep protesting, he had carried her into the water with him.

The rest of the guys soon joined them and they all started to enjoy the time they had together. Puck couldn't stop smiling; everything was perfect. Well, almost perfect. He wished Beth could be there with him. The picture of his baby splashing in the water and playing on the sand was so adorable that it actually hurt him.

"You okay man?" asked Sam, who noticed that he looked distracted.

"Yeah, I'm just hungry" he lied.

"Great, I'm hungry too, let's get of out here I'm freezing." said Rachel, swimming back to the shore.

Since the sun was starting to fall Artie and Quinn began to cook some burgers and hot dogs. Finn tried to help but Quinn insisted that he would just make a mess because he was really clumsy. So instead, he just grabbed a soccer ball and went to kick it around on the sand with Puck.

"So what's up with your life, I feel like we haven't talked that much lately." said Finn.

"Not much, you know work and stuff" replied Puck, not knowing what to say since he had mostly been thinking about Beth and Shelby.

"How's Beth? I know I haven't asked about her or anything but the truth is I don't know what to say" explained Finn, looking at the ground.

Puck smiled, "She's great, Quinn and I receive pictures of her once in a while and Shelby is a great mother to her" he kicked the ball "But I'd been lying if I said I don't want her to be here with me, I know it sounds selfish but I just can't help it." he sadly admitted.

"Can I see her? I mean like a picture?" asked Finn, obviously embarrassed.

Puck nodded and gestured for him to walk to the tents with him. He knew that his friend still cared about Beth; after all at one point he thought she was his daughter. It didn't matter that in the end the truth was told, and Finn was partly relieved he wasn't going to be a father, but the other part of him still felt sad. Puck knew that was the reason he hasn't asked about the baby.

Puck showed his best friend the picture he had in his wallet, "This is Beth." He grinned.

Finn looked surprised and smiled "She's beautiful."

When they returned to the others the dinner was ready, and after the first lot of burgers and hot dogs had been eaten, they cooked some s'mores. Puck and Sam had brought their guitars with them and it wasn't long until New Directions began singing around the campfire. After their sing-a-long, the group of friends remained silent, enjoying the sound of the firewood cracking on the fire. Puck laid down on the sand and let his body adjust to the temperature. He lost track of time, all he knew was that his body was telling him to fall asleep, and he had almost given in but Rachel distracted him by kneeling next to him. She smiled and gave him a s'more with a little candle: "Happy birthday Noah," she whispered, before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks" he replied blushing, and happy that Rachel couldn't see it because it was too dark.

Soon after his moment with Rachel the rest of his friends began to sing again. Puck felt lucky to share that moment with them, but he was a little bit uncomfortable because he never understood how he should behave when people sang Happy Birthday, so he just nodded and smiled. When they stopped he checked his cellphone and found a text message from Shelby:

"_Happy Birthday Noah, we wish you all the best, enjoy your day" Love Shelby and Beth._

He stared at the screen in shock. He didn't tell her, but Puck assumed that Rachel had brought the subject up during one of her conversations with Shelby. Puck walked over to her and hugged her tightly. Rachel didn't understand what was going on, but she decided to return the embrace anyway.

It was near seven o'clock on the Saturday morning when Puck arrived back home. He walked in quietly but to his surprise his mom was waiting for him in the living room. He was exhausted and covered in sand but he knew his mom wouldn't mind if he "ruined" the couch. He sat next to her and she swallowed him into a warm embrace.

"Happy Birthday my boy." she whispered.

"Thanks mom" he replied hugging her tightly.

She wiped some tears from her eyes and started to laugh "Don't pay attention to this, I just can't believe how big you are" she sniffed and cupped his face with her hands.

"I'm just rambling here, you must be hungry?" She asked, to which Noah nodded in reply. "How about some waffles and turkey bacon?"

"Sounds great, I just need to take a shower first I feel like a human sand box, be back in a few," he said as he headed out of the living room and up the stairs.

Puck ran upstairs to his bedroom, dropped his backpack on the floor and had begun looking for some clean clothes, when he saw a CD with a note lying on his desk. He picked up the little piece of paper and it read 'Play me on your laptop'. He laughed and did as the note said. After hitting the play button, his eyes widened in shock as he saw Shelby with Beth on her lap. She was singing Happy Birthday to him, and after she finished she spoke to him:

"Hi Noah I know you wanted to see Beth today, and I'm really sorry it couldn't be in person, but I hope this helps," she smiled, as Beth bounced happily on her knee.

She held Beth closer to her and tickled her belly, causing the baby to laugh, "You are a wonderful young man and you deserve so many good things from life" she paused "Also, I'm very grateful to know you and I'm so incredibly happy that you want to be a part of Beth's life, which is something that I'm more than happy to allow. You have been truly amazing. Oh, and before you call me, you must know this was Hannah's idea so you better go and thank her." Finished Shelby, smiling fondly at the memory of her phone call with the younger Puckerman.

Puck laughed. "Well, we should get going" she grabbed Beth's little hand and helped her wave: "Say bye to Noah sweetie." Beth laughed again and babbled some things.

"Goodbye Noah, Happy Birthday" she blew him a kiss and turned the camera off.

Puck was speechless. Immediately, he took out his cellphone and called Shelby, who answered with a sleepy voice.

"Shit, sorry did I wake you?" he asked, feeling bad.

"Don't worry I've been awake for a while… birthday guy" she assured him, a small smile lingering on her lips.

Puck paced all over his bedroom and scratched the back of his head. "I wanted to thank you for the video; I know it was Hannah's idea, but without your help it wouldn't been possible, so to me it was a gift from you too. Also thanks for the text message. I'll be sure to send you something for your birthday," he finished.

Shelby chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed "You don't need to do that," she assured him.

"I want to, so don't try to change my mind" he insisted.

She gave up "Fine," she said trying to sound serious but deep inside she felt happy.

"Um Shelby can I tell you something?" Puck asked, unsure whether this would lead to an awkward silence.

She hesitated before answering him "Of course."

"I never liked when people sung Happy Birthday to me, until I heard you. I always felt awkward but when you sang it I don't know, it felt right, you have a beautiful voice," he rambled, his cheeks reddening and his palms growing sweaty.

When Shelby didn't answer him he thought he had made her feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have…" but she cut him off.

"It's okay I'm flattered, really" she assured him, because it was the truth; her own cheeks has flushed pink when he had said what he said.

Puck sighed, feeling relieved, "Good, look I gotta go I have to take a shower and go to have breakfast with mom and Han, talk to you soon?" he asked, already beginning to miss the sound of her voice.

Shelby smiled "Of course, goodbye Noah, and happy birthday, again." And with that, Shelby hung up.

After cleaning himself up, Puck went down to the kitchen. The smell of maple syrup and turkey bacon made his stomach growl but before he started to eat, Puck went over to where his sister was sitting and kissed her on the cheek "Best gift ever, now I have to buy you something amazing for your birthday."

Hannah smiled with pride, "Told you I was the smart one, love you big bro."

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><p>Thanks for reading, and if you leave a review you would help me getting through this Glee abstinence I'll be suffering over the next 7 weeks! I'll upload chapter VI next Monday as usual<p>

Take care!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Monday is here and so it's chapter 7 and I know I said I would only write two chapters around season 2 but I had a last moment idea so there's going to be one more chapter, because I couldn't write chapters about the Puck/Shelby interaction during season 2 and forget about the "Nationals" episode. Anyways hope you like this one, I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you have fun reading it.

Thanks to the greatest beta reader ever _**BadAssMotherShucker94**_ seriously I really love your help!

**Disclaimer:** "Imagine me and you" is property of FOX Searchlight and Ol Parker any references to the movie herein have been borrowed for the use of this fanfiction.

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><p><strong>Chapter VII<strong>

Puck and Santana were having dinner at Breadstix; the romantic environment from Valentine's Day still filled the air of the restaurant, which made them feel a mixture of jealousy and frustration.

In school Puck and Santana barely talked to each other, but they were really close friends. They had known each other since they were kids, and shared a special bond. Santana knew she could call Puck whenever she was feeling particularly troubled and he would just go and talk to her, without asking, and it was the same for Puck.

Santana, on the one hand, had been down ever since Brittany started dating Artie. As for Puck, he had been confused and frustrated by a range of emotions, because yes, he still had feelings for Shelby. They were clearly felt every time he talked with her over the phone. To her he wasn't Puck, he was Noah. He could show her a side of him that almost nobody else knew about. But none of that mattered, because Shelby was in New York and he was in Lima, and most importantly, Noah was almost sure that she wouldn't see him as anything else but Beth's biological father, although deep down he still hoped that she might reciprocate his feelings.

Why wouldn't he think that? He could sense how her tone changed every time he flirted with her, and even though she hadn't flirted with him yet, she hadn't asked to stop either.

Both teenagers sighed, looking and feeling defeated. Suddenly Santana reached out for Puck's hand, not in a friendly or comforting gesture, but to make the other people in the restaurant believe they were on a date. Puck removed his hand quickly from the table.

"Santana, I've told you I don't see the point in pretending anymore, besides I doubt that Brittany" she gave him a deathly look, which caused him to lower his voice, "I doubt that Brittany would be jealous of me."

Santana looked away trying to hide her sadness. "If you just wanted a fake date, you should have called someone else, I just really need a friend right now." admitted Puck, getting up from the table.

She buried her face in her hands, "I'm sorry ok?" she said as she grabbed a breadstick from its container and played with it, tearing it to pieces. "I just don't get it, I mean look at us we can have anyone we want at McKinley." she laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "And here we are bitter and lonely, because we can't be with the people that we like." she paused, "Lauren doesn't give a shit about you." she checked that no one was paying attention to them. "And Brittany is all about Artie know, stupid nerd." she sighed, not liking the feeling of being this vulnerable, even if it was with Puck.

Puck laughed before he became serious once again. Yeah he'd had a fling with Lauren and of course he had enjoyed it, but he'd always known that it wasn't going anywhere, because Shelby always seemed to be on his mind.

"Yeah Lauren." he repeated, trying to hide his hesitation but Santana caught it.

"Wait, you have that lost puppy look because of her right?" she asked, her curiosity evident by the tone of her voice.

He shrugged "There's no point in lying to you, is there?"

"Who is she?" asked Santana, suddenly showing a drastic change in her mood.

Puck avoided her gaze and played with the food on his plate, "It doesn't matter, it will never happen." he admitted sadly.

Santana crossed her arms before continuing, "Please, please, _please_ tell me is not the hobbit?" she grinned, obviously enjoying the process of extracting this information out of her friend.

He smiled at the irony of the question "It's not Rachel."

Santana took a sip of her drink and began to think who this girl might be. "Obviously it's not Quinn; the only nice thing that came of your last relationship was that baby girl." She paused, "It's not me because, well, no."

They laughed "And it's not Brittany because you don't want me to go all Lima Heights Adjacent on you." she smirked, although her eyes betrayed the real emotions she would feel if Puck did like the girl she was in love with.

Puck just watched her amused; it was entertaining for him to see Santana become all giddy as she tried to guess who he liked.

Santana's gaze suddenly turned serious and she leaned closer "Are you gay?" she whispered.

He choked on his drink and started coughing "NO!" he stated firmly.

Santana tried not to laugh "Ok, just trying to cover all the options, no need to get mad."

Puck's breathing became steadier "I'm not mad, you just caught me by surprise."

Santana chuckled "Sorry, but it's not like you're giving me any helpful hints."

"Maybe because I don't want to say who she is" he replied bitterly. He wasn't ashamed of liking Shelby; he just didn't want to listen to all the reasons why he shouldn't think of her in that way.

Santana noticed how Puck lowered his gaze and look frustrated, causing her to reach for his hand again. This time he didn't remove it. "Hey, you know you can trust me, I won't judge you." she said softly.

He smiled, knowing that she meant those words. "Thanks, but like I told you it doesn't matter, she and I it won't happen."

A waitress came to take their plates away and they asked for refills "Oh my God!" Santana practically yelled, earning her a few odd glances from the other tables. "You think you're not good enough for her, don't you?" she questioned, finally understanding.

He rolled his eyes, she was right. When he thinks about all the reasons why he shouldn't even consider Shelby as a potential girlfriend a lot of things come to his mind: age, distance, what their families would say, what other people would say. But he didn't care because it would be their relationship, not theirs and everyone else's and that gave him hope, for a brief moment. Then reality hit him. He was nothing. Shelby was a beautiful educated woman, she knew about art, movies, books, music. She had won four national championships with Vocal Adrenaline, and he was a Lima loser. Shelby deserved to be with a doctor or a lawyer, someone who could give her all the things she deserved.

"I don't think that, I know it." he admitted.

"Puck!" started Santana, "Cut that crap, you are not making any sense. If I know one thing about you it's that you can make a girl swoon without even knowing it." She raised her hand for emphasis, "Fuck society, we're having a whole chocolate cake, and together we're going to plan your next move with her."

"Santana…" he began, trying to convince her to drop the subject.

"Shit Puck, you like her right?" she asked obviously upset. He nodded in response.

"Let me help you then" she ordered.

They ate some cake in silence before continuing with their conversation.

"So what's the deal with you two, are you friends?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Puck took a sip of his soda, he didn't know how to define their relationship, "Yes we are." he lied, knowing that if he were entirely honest Santana would only be more frustrated, and also because even though Santana had him cornered, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable, he was glad that he was helping to distract from Brittany.

"Does she have a boyfriend? Is that what makes you be stuck in the friend zone? She continued.

Puck had his mouth full, so he shook his head while he swallowed "I wish it was that simple, she has a very busy lifestyle, and according to her she doesn't have the time for a boyfriend" he explained.

She raised an eyebrow "Ok listen to me, does she have any important things coming up? Something that's stressing her out?"

"She has a play a couple of weeks from now, but I can't go since it's not nearby." he mentioned.

"Send her flowers" she stated before starting to eat her second slice.

"You mean like roses?" he asked confused.

"No, roses are too obvious, send her something that will show her how much you care for her, but also how much you listen to her." she explained, hoping he would come up with something nice.

Puck remained silent, thinking of a flower that reminded him of Shelby "She likes purple, a lot." he mumbled a little embarrassed, but Santana just smile.

"Lilies, send her lilies" she paused and sighed, "The lily means I dare you to love me" she added, with a smirk on her face.

Noah was impressed, her suggestion would help, of course not in the way he would usually expect, since he wouldn't end up having a one night stand with Shelby. But he was fine with that, instead he could show her how much he cares for her, which was exactly what he wanted to do.

"Since when you are such a poet?" he joked.

Santana just shrugged and smiled sadly "I'm not; it's a quote from a movie" she sighed. "A movie I watched with Brittany."

Puck reached for her hand "Hey look at me." he coaxed. When she looked up at him he continued, "We'll get through this." he smiled, as she squeezed his hand in response.

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><p>Shelby was making sure that everything was ready for the play. She didn't want any mistakes on the final night; everybody had worked non-stop for months and if the final show didn't measure up to the audience's expectations no one would care how good the other shows had been. That's how show business worked. Shelby checked the costumes and the scenery, "Everything looks perfect." she said to herself.<p>

She walked upstairs and went to the illumination room.

"All the lights are working great Miss. C." said a young man

Shelby smiled at her assistant director "And the sound system?"

He handed her a remote control "You can check it for yourself."

Shelby hit the play button and the music blasted out of the speakers, reaching every corner of the little theater. "I think we're good to go Cody" she smiled, as he nodded and switched everything off.

Back at her apartment Shelby was watching a movie with a sleepy Beth lying on her chest. She kissed the baby's head. She noticed how the screen of her cellphone had lit up and she read the text message she had just received:

"_I know you're not 'performing' tomorrow but since I can't wish you good luck, because according to Rachel that's bad luck… Break a leg" _it read, and Shelby grinned as she registered that it was from Noah.

Shelby carefully grabbed the cellphone to text him back, _"Thanks and I'm not superstitious, so I wouldn't have minded if you had texted good luck instead."_

Puck laughed before replying, _"I'll tell Rachel that. How's my monkey face?"_

Shelby loved the nickname that he had given to Beth, of course she didn't admitted it at first _"Tired out, she's sleeping right now."_

"_You should do the same, you have an important day tomorrow"_ he suggested.

"_Who's the kid here? You should be sleeping." _she joked, but feeling happy because he was concerned about her.

And there it was, that word again, every time Puck felt he was progressing with Shelby "kid" showed up, almost sending him back to square one. He sighed and began to find the best answer.

"_That doesn't mean you don't need to rest."_ he continued.

Shelby smiled at his perseveration _"I'll go to sleep if you do the same."_

"_Fine, I'll go to sleep but no cheating Shelby."_

Shelby suddenly felt like a teenager again, _"I promise I will go straight to bed and I trust you'll do the same. Goodnight Noah."_

"_Goodnight Shelby, give Beth a kiss for me. Oh, and don't stress too much tomorrow, the play will be perfect. How can it not if you're directing it." _Puck rested his head on his pillow hoping the phone would buzz again, but it didn't. _"She went to bed."_ he thought as he closed his eyes.

Shelby wanted to answer him, but she didn't know what to say. She read the text message again and felt her cheeks turning pink and some butterflies in her stomach, "Kid, what are you doing to me?" she said with her face buried in her pillow.

The play was perfect; no one forgot the lines, no one stumbled on stage. It was the perfect closure and Shelby couldn't be happier. She didn't expect anything less from herself, but there were moments when she doubted her coaching skills because she realized that motherhood had changed her. She wasn't as strict as she used to be, but she was pleased with the end results.

After saying goodbye to her students she went to her apartment to have dinner with her brother and her sister in law. While David was cooking, Sarah and Shelby had a glass of wine.

"So…." Sarah began, trying to sound casual but Shelby, understanding the tone as soon as the word escaped from her mouth, raised an eyebrow "How's your love life?"

"You know I don't have time for that, Beth's my priority." Shelby reminded Sarah.

"I'm aware of that but I mean, have you considered finding a dad for Beth?" asked Sarah, as she took another sip of her wine.

Shelby raised her own glass and smelled the wine, "Of course I have, and it's something that's always on my mind. I want her to have a daddy, the perfect one. The one who would say he won't let her date a guy till she's 21, the one who will take her to her ballet lessons, or soccer practice, or whatever she wants to do."

She paused "The one who will comfort her after she fights with me" she felt her voice crack for a second "And of course someone who will stay with me after she leaves."

The table stayed in silence for a moment, "If you know someone like that you are free to introduce him to me." she said joking but in her eyes there was still a glint of sadness.

There was knock on the door "Wow, that guy was fast." joked David getting up to open it.

"Expecting Shel?" asked Sarah, but Shelby shook her head in response. They heard the door closing and turned to see David approaching to the table with a huge bouquet of lilies. He put the flowers on the table, "For you sis."

Shelby took the little card on the bouquet and read it. "Because the real star of the play deserves a proper gift, it's not perfect but it was the closest thing I could find." She stopped herself from reading the name aloud; she didn't want to listen to a speech about why Noah shouldn't be doing that. She quickly calmed herself, not wanting to blush in front of them.

"Are these from Jesse?" asked Sarah.

"No, this is too simple, his presents are more extravagant and he sent me one already. It doesn't say who send them." she lied hiding the card in her jacket.

"Looks like you have a secret admirer." shouted David from the kitchen.

"I'm pretty sure it's one of the boys in the play who has a crush on Shelby" Sarah replied, before pouring more wine into their glasses.

"Wouldn't be the first time" admitted Shelby, as she picked a lily from the bouquet. "It'll just be a second; I'm going to check on Beth."

Beth was sleeping soundly, like nothing was happening outside her room, and that was impressive because David could talk very loud. Shelby put the flower in a vase near her crib, and leaned to kiss the baby's temple. "Mommy loves you" she whispered.

Shelby sat down on the rocking chair and texted Noah:

"_Thank you for the flowers."_

He grinned when he read it _"It was my pleasure."_

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><p>Reviews are all always ALWAYS welcome I love all off them, long ones or short ones they all put a smile on my face!<p>

Take care and until next week!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note**: I have no words to say how happy I am to have reviewers as amazing as each one of you, you all made my week. It's the first time people ask me to update sooner I'm really, really flattered! Anyway… enjoy the last chapter of season 2.

Special shoutout to my reviewer: **bforethesunsets **you told me you would like to see more about Jesse, well he's in this chapter!

Last but not least, thanks to the most amazing shuckling and beta reader ever **BadassMotherShucker94.**

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><p><strong>Chapter VIII<strong>

Despite all their problems during the school year, New Directions had managed to make it to Nationals and everybody was excited, especially Rachel. After all, New York was her dream city and being there just made her dreams and ambitions grow bigger. She wanted to see everything she could in the brief time the Glee Club was staying there. But first she had one stop to make.

She waited until Mr. Schue had left to sneak out of the hotel. She had told Kurt where she was going just in case Will returned before her. She grabbed a taxi and went to the address Shelby had given her almost a year before.

Rachel arrived to the apartment building and after having identified herself at the reception, she made her way to the elevator. She could feel herself becoming more and more nervous. This wasn't the first time she was visiting Shelby but she still got nervous whenever she was in this situation. She took deep breaths to compose herself before knocking on the door, but the person who opened it wasn't at all whom she was expecting.

She could have sworn she had knocked on the wrong door until she heard her mother's laughter coming from inside the apartment.

"Rachel, I'm so glad to finally see you, wow, you really look like your mom." said a tall man smiling at her.

"Um thank you, and you are?" she asked trying to sound as polite as she could.

He chuckled and extended his hand, "I'm sorry you must be confused, I'm Alex Shelby's boyfriend."

Rachel went from confused to surprised in a second, "Nice to meet you." she replied putting her best show smile on her face.

They entered the apartment, and while Alex explained to Rachel that Shelby was dressing Beth, the teenager took the time to analyze the man in front of her. He was attractive, for sure. He was tall and had a skin color similar to Finn's, dark brown hair and a beard, blue eyes and a charming smile, but there was something that Rachel didn't like about him, but she wasn't sure what was it.

"_Maybe it's that cocky attitude of his?" _ Thought Rachel as she kept pretending she was paying attention.

"Rachel!" greeted Shelby with a smiling Beth on her hip, "Sorry I didn't answer the door."

Rachel smiled and waited until Shelby had put Beth in her playpen to give her a hug. "It's okay, I've been talking to Alex." she said emphasizing the name, hoping her mother would understand the tone.

"Sorry I didn't tell you about him, it was just something unexpected." she whispered into her ear.

"As long as he makes you both happy, I won't have problem ignoring that." she replied, still hugging her mother.

After breaking the hug, Rachel approached Beth, she knelt down in front of the baby, "Hi Beth, you are so big, baby girl," she played with her blond curls "You look so much like Quinn, but…" she paused and analyzed the baby's eyes "You definitely have Noah's eyes."

She turned to face Shelby who was sitting on the sofa holding hands with Alex and staring at her in awe "Can I hold her?" asked Rachel slightly embarrassed.

"Sure honey, go ahead." said Shelby glad that her elder daughter felt comfortable enough around Beth to hold her.

Rachel sat down across from them with a bouncy Beth on her lap. They began to talk about Nationals and how New Directions' strategy was to match Vocal Adrenaline's original songs with their own originals songs. Shelby asked her about Noah and Quinn, and for a second Rachel thought she had seen a smile forming on her mother's lips when she asked about the young man and Rachel replied that he had surprised all of them because he had been single for a long time, and that he had stated he had his mind set on a beautiful woman.

After a while Rachel got tired of talking, well not really, but she had to get to know her mother's boyfriend. After all she knew her opinion was important to Shelby.

"So, how did you guys meet?" she began with a smirk on her face.

Back at the hotel, Puck was really excited to be in New York although his reasons were entirely different form the others. Of course he was happy to visit all the great places everybody was talking about, but in his mind all that looked unimportant next to seeing Shelby, and most importantly, Beth again. The thought of holding his baby girl after all this time caused him to grin like an idiot.

Puck went to the girl's room to find Quinn. When she opened the door his eyes widened. "Your hair." Was all he could manage to say.

She smiled at his reaction. "Too short?" she asked, still a little unsecure about her new look.

Puck gently put some of her hair behind her ears "I like it, it suits you" he admitted. "I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to Toys R' Us?"

She stared at him confused. "What for?"

"To buy some birthday gifts for Beth; since her birthday is close I was thinking we could stop by Shelby's house to visit and give them to her." he explained, smiling.

"You really think Shelby would let us spend time with Beth, just like that?" she asked with sarcasm.

Puck nodded "That was the arrangement, besides I sent her an email. She knows we're here. C'mon! Let's go and surprise them," he finished, excitement creeping into his voice.

Quinn kept staring at him with an expression that was really hard for him to read. Noah wasn't sure if she was angry or sad. "Do whatever you want, I don't want to go," she replied bitterly as she started to close the door, but Puck stopped her.

"Q' it's our daughter, don't lie to me, I know you want to see her just as much as I do, you treasure all those photos Shelby has sent to us." He said, hoping to change her mind.

She sighed, "You're free to spend your time her as you please but I won't go" she stated before slamming the door in his face.

"I'm still putting you name on the gifts," he yelled hoping she would change her mind, but there was no reply.

He walked to the elevator confused about Quinn's reaction. He knew she had a temper, but what he saw was pure anger, a thing he had only seen once; when everyone, including him let her down a year ago. He sighed and entered the elevator and found Sam there. An idea came to his mind:

"Dude, are you busy?" he asked him; Sam shook his head in response.

"I know you have a younger sister, so would you mind helping me picking a few birthday gifts for Beth?"

Sam smiled "No, I'd love too. I think I saw a Toys R' Us on our way here," he said as they made their way out of the hotel.

In the toy store they immediately went to the girls section. There were so many aisles covered in pink that neither of them knew were to start. Sam grabbed a stuffed animal from one of the shelves "You think she'll like this?" he asked.

Puck shrugged, "Is hard to tell, you know? I don't really know her." He admitted sadly.

Sam put the teddy bear in the cart they picked up at the entrance. "Most babies like the same things, I'm sure she'll love whatever you bring to her." he assured his friend.

Puck smiled "You think she'll like Elmo?" he asked and Sam began to laugh.

"Yeah all kids love him." he chuckled.

They ended up picking two stuffed animals, a doll, Elmo, a lovely pink blanket and a set of towels. Puck was really grateful to Sam for helping him, and he knew he had to return the favor. "Sam?" he began as they made their way to the cashiers, "What if we pick up some presents for your siblings too?" he suggested.

"I, ehm" he was embarrassed and Noah noticed it.

"I'm pretty sure they'll be really happy if they see you returning with something for them" he paused "I don't mind paying for them, consider it as a thank you for your help today."

Sam bowed down his head, "Thanks Puck," he mumbled trying to sound cool, but he could feel some tears forming in his eyes; he really wanted to do something special for his brother and sister.

"No problem man, but let's start in the boy's section, I could swear I saw some ladies giving us weird looks at the girls aisle," replied Puck, smiling slightly.

The trip was going so well it was almost unbelievable, but then it all went to hell when they didn't qualify for the second round at Nationals. Deep down all of them knew it: they were better, they had improved but they still weren't good enough, and of course that kiss between Finn and Rachel didn't help much either.

Puck had to control Santana so she wouldn't kill Finn, she was so angry he couldn't understand a single word she was saying besides, "Lima Heights Adjacent." Puck could relate to how she was feeling, Finn's actions were selfish and imprudent, but he decided to keep his mouth shut because everybody else was making his life miserable. Finally after all the yelling and complaining they returned to the hotel.

The next morning Puck got up early, because it was his last day in New York. He took a quick shower and dressed himself as fast as he could, but making sure he was looking extra handsome for Shelby. He picked up the gifts and headed towards the elevator.

He was almost outside of the hotel when he spotted a sad looking Rachel sitting at the lobby, and he couldn't ignore her. He walked up to her, "Hey Rach."

She looked up and smiled "Good morning Noah, I see you also woke up early," she glanced her clock, "It's almost ten and that's a miracle for you." she joked.

He chuckled because she was right, "I'm going to take these gifts to Beth," he said, nodding his head at the gifts in his hands.

She nodded and noticed he was alone, "Where's Quinn?"

Puck shrugged and gave her a disappointed look, "She didn't want to come. I even knocked on your room's door to see if she had changed her mind but nothing."

"It's still hard for her, she'll become more comfortable with time," she assured him.

He sat down next to her, "Why you are here?"

"I didn't sleep well and I wanted to stay away from everybody since you all hate me," she explained, hanging her head.

"We don't hate you, you didn't know what was going to happen" he replied.

"But still, I kissed him back, I was as bad as Finn," she insisted, feeling really bad for what happened.

"It would have looked a lot worst if you had left him with a dull face because you didn't want to kiss him," he grinned and Rachel started to laugh. "They'll get over it, even Santana, so don't worry." he assured her.

Rachel smiled, "Thank you Noah."

He got up and picked the gifts, "No problem Rach, I'll see you later" he said as he started to leave.

On the way to Shelby's apartment Puck asked the cab driver to stop at a flower shop, where he bought a lily and placed it on a gift he had bought for Shelby weeks before. It was almost midday and Puck was getting desperate. He kept looking outside the window because according to the driver they were getting closer. Just a couple of minutes later, the man pointed the building out to Noah and it was just across the street. It was then when he spot her at the entrance of the tower.

He handed the money to the driver, "I can walk from here thanks."

Puck made his way through the crowed street, not wanting to remove his eyes from Shelby. She looked beautiful; she was wearing a simple black dress. Puck could feel how his heart began to beat faster and faster with every step he took. He was just about to cross the street when his worst fear came true. A man approached to Shelby, covering her eyes with his hands and she just started to laugh.

Noah felt his own heart breaking; he wanted to make her laugh like that. But there was more to come; the man wrapped his arm around Shelby's waist and kissed her temple, then her cheek, and lastly her lips. She looked so happy. Noah wanted to be happy for her, but it was so damn hard for him; he really thought he had a chance with Shelby.

"_I'm so fucking stupid"_ he thought.

Puck was glad that New York was a crowed city, because he managed to stay across from them without being noticed. He stayed there covering most of his face with the presents until they had left. He entered the fancy building and was greeted by a lovely receptionist.

"Good afternoon young man, may I help you?" she asked with a smile.

He put the gifts on the table, "I brought these gifts for Shelby Corcoran," he explained with a serious tone.

The lady frowned and gave him a sad look "You just missed her, I'm sorry."

Puck nodded, "Yeah that happens to me a lot," he admitted sadly.

The lady's eyes widened as she began to exanimated the amount of boxes in front of her, "Are these for the baby?"

"How did you know?" he asked.

"Miss Corcoran has been buying things for Beth's little party" she explained.

Despite his sadness that made him smile, "I'm glad to know that," he paused, "Could you give her the presents when she returns?"

She nodded, "Sure, what's your name?"

"Noah, Noah Puckerman," he replied looking at the little box with the lily in his hands. He gently removed it and gave it to the receptionist, "Thanks have a nice day." he said before leaving.

A couple of hours later Shelby returned to her apartment. As she was passing the reception area, the receptionist called her over. Shelby noticed the lily on her desk and she immediately remembered Noah.

"A young man stopped by a while ago," she started as she grabbed the gifts and placed them on the desk, "He left these for baby Beth."

Shelby was speechless, "Did he say something?" she asked, hoping he had left a message for her.

The young receptionist shook her head, "Just his name, Noah Puckerman," she pointed to the lily "He gave me that. He was such a sweetheart, although he had this sad look in his eyes."

Shelby grabbed the boxes, "Thank you, Mary" she said as she headed to her apartment.

As soon as she closed the door of her apartment she grabbed her cellphone and tried to call Noah, but he never answered. Shelby went to Beth's room and found the toddler playing with her baby sister. Shelby grabbed the tiniest gift from the pile and handed it to Beth, "Look what Noah sent you, I don't thing he'll mind if you open one a little bit early."

Meanwhile at the hotel was Noah, who was sitting in the lobby looking sad. He was playing with Shelby's gift when a familiar voice interrupted him.

"You missed my pep talk," said Jesse with his signature tone.

"Sorry," he mumbled with indifference, hoping that would make him leave, but instead Jesse sat down next to Puck.

"Lucky for you I still remember it. So you won't be left out," began Jesse.

"Look man, I'm not in the mood, so please save it," stated Puck, trying to control his temper.

Jesse nodded and got ready to leave, but Puck stopped him, "Jesse wait."

Noah sighed; he was reaching his breaking point. He needed to tell somebody about his feelings for Shelby, and even though Jesse St. James seemed a strange choice, Puck knew he could trust him.

"Yes, Puckerman?" replied Jesse with a cold tone.

Puck hesitated for a second, "Can we talk outside?" he asked him, hoping Jesse wouldn't mind.

Jesse began to walk towards the entrance and gesture for him to follow. Outside they stood in an awkward silence until Puck finally spoke, "I have feelings for Shelby," he blurted out feeling the weight he had been carrying for almost a year leave him.

Jesse nearly dropped his cellphone, "You what?" he asked with a very protective tone.

Puck nodded, "I know I shouldn't, but it happened and I just needed to say it to somebody." he confessed.

Jesse was skeptical, but he decided to give Puck a chance, because he could see he wasn't lying. "Go on." he demanded.

Puck sighed and began to tell him everything. He explained how Shelby made him feel different, how sometimes he dreamed about having a family with her. How he just wanted to make her feel loved and safe.

Jesse listened carefully to every word until Puck stopped. "Wow, I never thought_ you_ would feel that," he paused, "No offense."

Puck laughed, "None taken, sometimes I don't believe it either."

"You do know she has a boyfriend, right?" Jesse pointed out.

"Yeah, I kind of found that out the hard way." Puck admitted, looking sad as he remembered the image of Alex kissing Shelby.

"It won't last though," said Jesse in a casual tone. "He's not a family guy, he doesn't try to get along with Beth, and Shelby wants a dad for her."

Puck stared at him confused, "Is this your way of saying 'Don't give up on her'?

Jesse sighed and smiled, "If I could chose any man to be with Shelby I wouldn't even consider you, again no offense," he started, "but every time she talks about you, her face just lights up, her eyes glow, and she smiles. You have something that makes her happy, and I can see that you truly love Beth."

Puck stayed quiet, giving up on Shelby would be the easier choice, because nothing ever started, so it wouldn't make a difference.

"Look Puck, whatever you decide to do I know you'll still be there for Beth and Shelby, and that means a lot to me," Jesse continued, as he extended his hand to Puck, offering a handshake. "But, just in case you choose to win her heart, you must know you have my blessing, and also that if you ever, ever hurt her, I'll find you and make you pay"

Puck returned the gesture, "Thanks Jesse, and don't worry I will never hurt her," he paused, "You won't tell right?"

Jesse shook his head, "As far as I'm concerned this conversation never happened."

They said goodbye to each other and Noah returned to the lobby where the rest of his friends were ready to check out of the hotel. He was still unsure of what he would do about Shelby, but for now he decided just to focus on and enjoy the summer and let everything take its course.

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><p>I know a lot of you are wondering when they are going to see each other, remember I'm following the storyline RIB created (and ruined), but no worries season 3 starts next week, and yes they are FINALLY going to see each other again, and Puck is going to be extra sweet with Shelby, you will love him!<p>

Reviews are always welcome and well received, like I said before I love all of them!

Take care and have a nice week!


	9. Chapter 9

Hello everybody happy Monday! Chapter 9 is here, and you know what that means, season three has just begun! This chapter happens before **"The Purple Piano Project and I am Unicorn"** because I hated the way the writers brought Shelby back, it was really random.

Special shoutout to my amazing beta reader **BadassMotherShucker94** because she turned 18 last Saturday! Go read her stories and leaver her reviews!

Speaking of that I recommend the fanfic **"Never be alone again"** is wonderful and the author is always accepting suggestions, so go and check it out if you have the time.

One last thing, I used a song on this chapter it's called **"You had me at hello"** by **A Day To Remember** and if any of you is like me and needs to listen to it to get the mood of the moment here's a link: .com/watch?v=oKhagERGRxU

Enough with my ramblings, go and enjoy the chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter IX<strong>

Shelby was sitting at her couch; she was watching Beth play with one of the toys Noah had sent to her. Shelby and Noah barely talked anymore. He had called her for Beth's birthday and talked to the one year old for a few minutes over the phone, but when she tried to talk to him, he had excused himself and hung up. There weren't any more calls or text messages after that. Noah only wrote her emails and it was specifically when she send pictures or videos of Beth.

She didn't understand what had happened; she missed him, as odd as it seemed, she consider the teenager an important part of her life. She tried to call him to ask him what she had done wrong but they had drifted apart. Shelby suddenly smiled when she saw Beth giggling; she was squeezing Elmo, and the toy began to shake causing her burst into laughter. Shelby went to the playpen, lifted up her daughter and covered her face with kisses, Beth continued giggling as she buried her face in her mom's neck.

Shelby put Beth on the wooden floor and started to play with the toddler when unexpectedly; Beth grabbed one of the corners of the couch and stood up.

She gasped, "Oh! Bee look at you," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

Beth smiled at her and sat down on the floor. "I'm so proud of you, you're growing up so fast," said Shelby as she stroked the baby's curls. She looked out her cellphone to call Noah, but just as she was about to hit the call button on the screen she stopped herself. _"He probably won't pick up,"_ she thought.

A couple of hours later, when Beth was sleeping soundly, Alex showed up at Shelby's door. He gave her a kiss. "Hey baby." he said before entering and making himself comfortable on the couch. Shelby sat down next down next to him and grabbed his hands.

"I got a job offer," she began.

Alex smiled, "That's great! Where?" he asked hugging her from the waist.

She frowned, "In Lima," she almost whispered, but Alex heard her clearly.

He looked at her straight into her eyes, "Lima, as in Lima Ohio?" She nodded in response, "But you're not going to accept it, right? You love New York, your whole life is here." he paused "I'm here."

Shelby stood up and began to pace around the room running her hands through her hair. She remembered what had happened hours before, and how she didn't even think of calling Alex when Beth stood up, she didn't even want him with her. The first person who came to her mind was Noah, and that made her feel very confused.

"It's a good job. I won't be coaching a team, I'll be giving signing lessons to a girl," she explained. "Besides is Rachel's senior year, I want to be around for her graduation."

Alex got up and grabbed her hands. "Shelby you can't leave me," he pleaded.

She squeezed his hands in response. "Alex, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me, ok?" said Shelby trying to hide the sadness in her voice. She already knew what he was going to answer and also because even though she didn't love him, she had enjoyed their time together.

"Do you want a family?" she asked. Alex stayed quiet but his eyes revealed his true feelings. Shelby leaned forward and kissed him softly, "its okay I won't be angry."

He sighed, "Shelby, you are amazing, but the truth is I don't want a family right now," he admitted.

She nodded, "I know, so even if I decide to stay this relationship won't last," she said as she hugged him.

They stood in silence hugging each other until Alex broke the embrace. He gently stroked one of Shelby's cheeks with the back of his hand, "Sorry for not being what you're looking for."

She smiled, "You're really are a great guy, maybe if we had met at another moment, things would have been different." she paused, "But for now I need to focus on my family."

Alex nodded and kissed her cheek, "You're a great mother," he chuckled, "I never told you that before, but I mean it."

He started to leave, but when he was near the door he turned to face her. "Good luck in Lima and if you ever consider coming back, call me," he said, winking at her before walking out the door.

After the door had closed, Shelby sat down on the couch. She felt tears running down her face, and immediately wiped them away with her hands. She wasn't crying because she was sad, she was crying because she felt frustrated. The feeling of wanting to call Noah invaded again. She sighed bitterly before she went to her daughter's bedroom, and she sat on the rocking chair, "Seems like it's going to be just the two of us again," she told the sleeping baby.

She took out her cellphone and dialed a number: "This better be something good," answered a sleepy voice.

"I'm going back to Lima," replied Shelby.

Jesse opened his eyes and sat up on his bed "Okay, I'm awake now!"

In Lima Puck had a very difficult summer; avoiding Shelby was harder for him than he thought it would be. Every time he felt his phone ringing because Shelby was calling him, he found himself feeling extremely guilty, but that was the only way he could get over his feelings for her. He was determined to keep their relationship around Beth's adoption arrangements and nothing else.

Puck arrived to Quinn's house. He hadn't talk to her since the school year had ended, she didn't call Shelby for Beth's birthday, and she wasn't hanging out with Brittany and Santana at school anymore. She was drifting apart from everyone and he wanted to know the reasons why.

He knocked the front door and was received by Judy Fabray, "Hello Noah," she greeted him.

"Afternoon Mrs. Fabray is Quinn here?" he asked.

She nodded and let him come in, "She's in her room, but I must warn you she's not been herself lately."

"I know, but don't worry I'll try to find out why she's acting like that," he said as he went upstairs.

Puck walked to the last room of the second floor corridor and knocked the door. When Quinn answered it, his jaw dropped, "Your hair," was all he managed to say.

Quinn sighed with boredom at his reaction, "Seems like a déjà vu."

Puck analyzed the clothes she was wearing. "What happened to you?"

She laughed, "This is the new me, don't you like it?"

Puck shook his head, "I doubt my opinion would matter" he opened his backpack and took out an envelope. "These are from Beth's birthday party, I thought you might want to have them," he explained handing the envelope to her.

"I don't want them," she snapped, throwing the pictures to the floor.

"What the fuck Quinn?" he almost shouted, he looked at her straight in the eyes. "This isn't you, I know something is bothering you, so when you feel comfortable enough to talk I'm here, and so are your other friends." He picked up the photos and went downstairs.

"Bye Mrs. Fabray." He gave the envelope to her. "Could you save these for Quinn?"

She nodded, "I'm pretty sure she'll want them when she's over with this phase of hers" she said.

Puck smiled and thanked her before leaving the house.

Later that day when Puck was leaving his football practice he received a phone call. He hesitated for a few seconds before answering it; he didn't recognize the number, but in the end he picked up.

"Stop being stupid and answer her next phone call," ordered a voice before Puck could even said hello.

"Who the hell are you?" he replied, upset.

"Jesse St. James, now could you just do what I said."

Puck sighed, "Jesse, I'm starting to believe that being that close to…" he paused and checked that Finn wasn't nearby, "Shelby isn't a good a idea."

"She and her boyfriend broke up," said Jesse with a smile on his face.

"They did? Well that doesn't change anyth…"

"Please, just talk to her one more time, before deciding anything," interrupted Jesse.

Puck chuckled, "Fine" he paused, "Jesse why are you doing this? You don't even like me."

Jesse shrugged, "Like I said back in New York, you have what makes her happy, so I consider myself as your wingman."

They laughed, before Jesse continued. "She misses you, you know," he said.

Puck scratched the back of his neck, "I miss her too," he admitted sadly.

Jesse smiled again. "So, answer her next call, trust me you won't regret it," assured Jesse before hanging up.

A few days later Puck was on his way to Finn's house when his phone began to ring. He set the speaker so he wouldn't have to stop driving.

"You've reached for Puckerman!" he answered.

"Noah," he recognized the voice and grinned like a goof. "Shelby! How are you? It's good to hear your voice again," he admitted, not caring how he excited he must sound.

Shelby blushed slightly, she missed his charming voice "Is good to hear you too," she replied.

"How's my monkey face? Did she enjoy her summer?" he continued.

"Yes she did, we went to the beach and I know you're waiting for the pictures but I actually have a surprise for you," she explained.

Puck felt his heart starting to race, he was getting excited. "A surprise, really?"

Shelby smiled because he sounded like a little kid. "Yes, you think you'll be able to wait?" she asked trying to control herself from laughing because she knew he could say no.

"C'mon Shel! You know I'm not very patient, please just tell me!" he begged.

The line stayed silent for a few minutes. At that point Puck couldn't believe what was happening; Shelby Corcoran was teasing him. "Shel, please, please, please" he insisted.

Shelby began to laugh at his impatience, "Beth and I are coming to Lima!" she finally said.

Puck's foot hit the brake and he was glad that the road was empty, because if it wasn't he would have crashed. "Are you serious?" he almost yelled.

"Yes, we have to be there in a couple of weeks, but I'll be there in a few days to settle everything," she explained.

Puck knew he couldn't wait weeks to see her, "Do you need help carrying the furniture? Or placing everything I could help you if you want?" he suggested.

"You don't need to do that; you must have other things to do."

"No, I don't send me the address in a text message, and I'll be there after my football practice," he said smiling.

"Alright then, I'll see you soon, bye Noah" said Shelby, and with that the phone call was over.

Shelby arrived at her new apartment four days later. She liked it; it was cozy and big enough for her and Beth. She had call Rachel to surprise her, and the girl was so excited that she insisted on coming that same day to visit her. That reaction made her happy, she always thought that if she ever returned to Lima no one would be excited to see her again; but she was wrong, this time two people were excited to see her.

A knock at the door put a smile on her face. She looked through the peephole and saw Noah waiting for her outside. She opened the door, "Noah," she greeted him with a smile.

Puck stood there looking at her for a couple of seconds. _"She looks even more beautiful than before," _he thought.

"Hey," he replied shyly as he gave her a lily. "For you, I thought it would be nice to have a flower on your new place."

She smelled the flower before giving him a friendly hug. "Thank you for coming."

"It's nothing." he assured her.

Before they started to organize everything, they sat down at the kitchen table and talk for a while. Puck imagined it would be weird to talk to Shelby in person, but it wasn't, it was as comfortable as when they talked on the phone or when they texted each other. The only difference was that talking in person with her was more difficult, because he had to control himself so that he didn't grab her hands or lean forward and just steal a kiss from her.

Shelby felt comfortable too. She liked how Noah listened to every word she had to say. She also noticed how he looked more mature. His eyes seemed different, but they were as intense as she remembered. She had trouble staring directly at them, because she could feel he was trying to tell her something.

Noah decided to start with Beth's room, while Shelby organized the rest of the kitchen utensils. She was happy to have him with her helping; it gave her the feeling that she wasn't alone anymore. She grabbed her phone off the kitchen counter and dialed her sister in law's number.

"Hi Shel how's Lima?" answered Sarah.

"Pretty much the same, but I must say moving with a baby is pretty exhausting," she replied.

Sarah laughed, "You should have let David go with you."

Shelby ran her hands through her hair "No, you're taking care of the twins and Beth," she paused, "Besides I've got a friend helping me."

"Oh," replied Sarah with curiosity, "Is it that cute blond teacher?" she asked.

Shelby burst into laughter. "No! He doesn't even know I'm here," she paused to calm herself. "Can I talk to Beth?" she asked, changing the subject.

Sarah went to look for the baby, and Shelby took the opportunity to call Noah over, she set the speaker and they heard the baby babbling "Hey Bethie, it's your…" he stopped himself "It's Puck," he said.

Beth laughed, "Pak!" she replied and Noah looked at Shelby, "She learned to say it a few weeks ago, I tried to call you but…"

"I never answered." he finished for her.

Shelby gave him a comforting smile and patted him on one of his knees, "It's okay you're hearing it now."

He nodded, "Thanks for letting me come over."

Sarah grabbed the phone and Noah left the room again. He continued unpacking and found a pair of iPod speakers. He plugged the set into his phone, and kept doing his job enjoying the music.

Shelby went into the room to ask Noah if he was hungry or thirsty and she spotted him dancing as he put some of Beth's stuffed animals in her toy box. She leaned on the doorframe laughing at the picture, when Puck heard her he immediately turned to face her blushing slightly, but he turned serious when he noticed her eyes were puffy and her nose was red.

He walked closer to her, "Is everything okay?" he asked concerned.

She sniffed and nodded "Is just that Beth said 'momma' over the phone, and I just lost it and began to cry. I miss her; this is the first time we've been apart for more than just a couple of hours," she explained.

Puck nodded and grabbed her hand. "Come with me, I'm gonna cheer you up!" he said taking her back into the living room. He coaxed her to sit down. "Wait here, I'll be back in a second."

As promised, he returned almost immediately with his guitar. He sat down across from her and started to play it. "Noah what are you doing?" she asked, but he shushed her and began to sing.

_I've never seen a smile that can light the room like yours_

_It's simply radiant; I feel more with everyday that goes by_

_I watch the clock to make my timing just right_

_Would it be okay?_

_Would it be okay if I took your breath away?_

Shelby lowered her head to hide her blushed cheeks. "Thank you Noah" she said simply.

He approached her and wiped the few remaining tears from her face. "It's nothing, you are too pretty to be crying," he replied.

Shelby instantly leaned her head into his touch. She knew she shouldn't but the sensation of Noah's hand on her face felt really nice.

He took that action as a good sign and leaned forward; Shelby closed her eyes, they knew what was going to happen, they felt their hearts beating fast, their faces were just inches apart, when "Defying Gravity" began to sound aloud causing them to jerk back, both blushing.

"Hi Rachel," said Shelby when she answered the phone. Puck got up and picked up his guitar. He waved at her and mouthed, "I should go," but Shelby shook her head.

"Rachel hold on for a moment," she covered the phone making sure she wouldn't listen. "Could you come tomorrow and help me paint?" she asked. Puck nodded his head in response and left.

The next day they painted Beth's room and put all the furniture where it belonged. Neither of them brought up what happened the day before but neither of them could stop thinking about it; but despite that the atmosphere on the apartment wasn't awkward at all.

Shelby left Lima after that. Puck was sad but he kept thinking that the next time he would see her she was going to be with Beth. He also felt hopeful because he knew he still had a chance with Shelby Corcoran, and this time he wasn't going to lose it.

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><p>I hope this messured your expectations, because I know a lot of you have been waiting for their reunion, and like I always said reviews are very well received.<p>

Take care everybody have nice start of the week, and until next Monday as usual!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: **Hey guys here's the latest chapter it happens during **"I am Unicorn"** and I'm going to explain something, to you, There's going to be chapters around "**Asian F" **and **"The First Time"** because I consider those episodes as plot holes on the storyline, I'm pretty sure you'll like them since is the Shuck moments with didn't see.

Sorry if you find this chapter a little boring, I had a trouble writing it thanks to the recent spoilers. I'll make it up on the next ones

Thanks to my beta reader **BadassMotherShucker94 **because she's awesome.

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><p><strong>Chapter X<strong>

It was almost seven o'clock in the morning when Puck's cellphone started to buzz on his nightstand; he grunted before extending is arm to search for it. He looked at the screen and read a text message from Shelby:

"_Today I'm starting to work at McKinley and I'd like to talk to Quinn, do you think you can convince her?" _

Puck sighed, feeling frustrated. When Shelby told him she was going to teach at his school, he felt obligated to explain to her what was going on with Quinn, so when Shelby saw her she wouldn't be that shocked.

"_I'll try my best, but I won't promise that anything good will come from that meeting," _he replied before going back to sleep for a few more minutes.

Noah arrived early to school, knowing he would find Quinn smoking near the football pitch. When she saw him approaching, she tried to run away but Puck was faster and managed to grab her by one of her arms.

"Hey Q' do you have a minute?" he asked.

She scoffed, "Depends, who sent you?"

Puck let her go and sighed, "I'm not here to tell you to go back to New Directions or The Cheerios."

Quinn trashed a cigarette end, and lit up a new one. "Then why are you here?" she asked with a suspicious look on her face.

"I'd rather not say, please just come with me," he pleaded.

Quinn rolled her eyes but agreed to go with him. They were crossing the entrance of the building when she spoke again:

"I swear if you're taking me to an intervention with Mr. Schue and Miss. Pillsbury…"

Puck shook his head and opened the door of a classroom for her. Quinn's eyes widened when she saw Shelby waiting for them. Quinn instantly tried to leave the room, but Puck stood in front of her and stopped her by slightly grabbing her shoulders. "Please just listen to her," he told her.

"Hi Quinn," said Shelby with a casual tone.

"What are you doing here?" she replied upset.

Shelby got up and smiled at her, "I'm back I got a job here," she explained.

Noah remained at the back of the classroom, occasionally exchanging a few glances with Shelby; he was concerned because someone would leave that room hurt. He sighed as he listened at how the conversation began to worsen.

"Is this your way of torturing me? By coming back with her?" continued Quinn, raising her voice.

Shelby shook her head. "You know you can be a part of her life, we agreed that a year ago, I came back to make that easy for you." She paused and looked at Noah. "For both of you."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, "When can I see her?" she demanded.

Shelby took a moment to analyze the clothes the girl was wearing. She wasn't the same Quinn who she left a year ago; she was lost and needed help. "Are you okay, are you even in Glee anymore?" asked Shelby.

"No, when can I see her?" insisted Quinn.

"Whenever you want as long as you are not like this, you need to clean up your act." she replied.

Quinn laughed. "You think I'm gonna to corrupt my own baby or something? Please." She clenched her hands into fists. "You think that coming back is going to make up for all the shit you left here?" she began, "Well no, things don't work like that, you should have stayed in New York, because here you can't hide the truth."

Puck grabbed one of her shaking fists "Quinn" he said trying to stop her, but she gave him a deathly look forcing him to stay quiet.

"It doesn't matter what you do, or say, or how many things you buy to give her the best life she can get, you won't change the fact that you are not her mother, I am!" yelled Quinn with anger not removing her eyes from Shelby.

Shelby remained calm, "When you feel ready to be your old self again Beth and I will be happy to see you."

Quinn laughed again, "Then I hope you have a lot of patience." And with that she left the room.

Shelby sat down and buried her face in her hands for a moment. "You weren't exaggerating," she said to Noah.

He didn't move from his spot and gave her a concerned look. "It's okay Noah, I know she didn't mean it, besides it's me I can handle comments like that."

Puck put his hands in his pockets. "Still I can't help being worried about you," he admitted smiling slightly.

She returned his smile. "What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?" she asked changing the subject.

"Football practice, why?" He replied, hoping she would ask him what he was thinking.

"Would you like to see Beth tomorrow?"

Puck smiled like a goof and he began to pace around the classroom. "Really Shelby?"

She nodded, "If anyone is ready to meet her, it's you."

Puck was so happy to hear those words that he didn't care they were at school; he walked straight over to her and hugged her. "Thank you Shelby, you won't regret it."

Shelby found herself feeling really comfortable with the gesture. She really likes hugging Noah, and she always felt something different when her body made contact with his. "I'm sure I won't," she said breaking the embrace. "Now, go to class."

Later that day Rachel showed up at Shelby's door with some college pamphlets. They sat down together in the living room, and while Rachel played with Beth, Shelby examined the flyers Rachel had brought with her.

"So I'm assuming NYADA is your first option, right?" started Shelby.

Rachel smiled and nodded with pride, "Pretty much my only option, I think I have a great chance at getting in, especially if I get the leading role in the musical."

Shelby read her daughter's application. "You've pretty much got it all covered, but it won't cause you any harm to have back up options," she suggested.

Rachel frowned and her mother immediately spoke to explain herself. "Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely sure you'll get in, it's just that sometimes colleges make strange choices when it comes to accepting students. I've seen tons of perfect candidates getting rejected just because they didn't have what the school was looking at that moment."

Rachel stayed quiet and continued playing with Beth. "How about Julliard as a back up option?" she asked.

Shelby smiled, "Sounds perfect, we can work on that after we finish your NYADA application."

The room remained quiet for a while, except for Beth's occasionally babblings and the sound of Shelby's fingertips hitting the keyboard of her laptop. "What are your friend's college options?" asked Shelby breaking the silence.

Rachel placed Beth in her playpen and sat down across from her mother. "Well, I think Mike wants to dance, he'd be great at Julliard if you ask me. Kurt is obviously coming to New York with me and Finn."

Shelby stopped typing and looked at Rachel. "Finn is going to New York with you?" she asked surprised. She didn't have anything against him, of course she thought he wasn't the best candidate to date her daughter, but he wasn't a bad kid. She just couldn't place him with Rachel in that type of environment.

"That's our plan, unless he gets a football scholarship, he's really excited about this recruiter who's coming to McKinley," she explained, sounding a little worried.

"Whatever happens I'm sure you two will work out a way to stay together," Shelby assured her daughter as she continued to work on the first draft of Rachel's recommendation letter.

Rachel was happy that Shelby didn't give her a speech about how her relationship with Finn wouldn't last after High School; she had enough of that at home. "I don't really know what the rest of the guys are planning," she continued

"Mercedes is probably going to try and pursue a singing career," she paused, "I don't know why but I can imagine Santana as a lawyer. She has the right attitude; I could just see her accusing someone in court. Then there's Brittany… I think we should talk about her _if_ she graduates."

They chuckled, before Rachel continued. "I hope Quinn gets herself together, she has good grades, and she could get into a good college if she wants. Last but not least is Noah."

She sighed before continuing, "I never said this to Finn because I didn't want to upset him, but I think Noah has more chance of getting a football scholarship than him. He's a really good player, and he's got even better since coach Bieste started to work at the school." She chuckled, "I don't really understand the game that much, but from what I've seen he runs really fast with the ball. He joked once saying that he started to train when he was a kid, because he had to run away every time he played a prank."

Shelby laughed. "What stops him from getting a scholarship then?" she asked, suddenly feeling interested.

Rachel shrugged. "Neither Noah or Finn can see how good they are, they only see the bad things."

Shelby began to think about what Rachel said. She was right about Noah, he didn't believe in himself. "It's good that Finn has you to show him the good things."

Rachel smiled, "Yes, I guess you're right," she looked at her mom. "Maybe that's what Noah needs, you know?"

Shelby nodded, "Yeah, maybe that's what he needs."

The next day Puck decided to skip his football practice. He didn't care if that meant he had to train more at the next practice. He went straight to his house after classes to grab something to eat and to change his clothes. As he made his way to Shelby's, he started to get more anxious; he hoped Beth would like him.

He arrived at the apartment and knocked the door. When he saw Shelby on the other side smiling at him, he started to feel more relaxed.

"Sorry for the mess," she said as they entered.

"It's okay, um Shelby?" he started as he pulled out an envelope from one of his pockets "This is a drug test, as you can see I'm clean."

Shelby smiled at his effort to show her he was a good guy. "That's great" she replied getting Beth out of her playpen. She was crying a little because she was getting up from her nap. "It's okay sweetie, look somebody's here to see you."

Noah stood there staring at his daughter. He knew how beautiful she was, but seeing her in person was a million times better. He walked closer to her and touched the baby's head as carefully as he could, like she was made of glass and he was afraid of breaking her. "She looks like Quinn," he finally said.

"And you, she has the same dopey smile," Shelby added smiling.

He chuckled and pull out another piece of paper from his pockets, "I drew this for her, I was trying to do a pig, but it end up being a clown. It's called a clown-pig."

He placed the drawing on the fridge. "I thought she might remember me when she looks at it, you don't think it scared her, do you?"

Shelby shook her head, "No, she's tough."

Noah kept looking at them in awe. Beth was so happy to be with Shelby and that made him feel much better about the decision he and Quinn had made a year ago. He stayed in front of them unsure of what to do next, and Shelby noticed it.

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked smiling.

He nodded and shyly approached to the baby. "Would you like Noah to hold you?" whispered Shelby to Beth, but the toddler buried her face in her mom's neck.

Noah jerked back. "I don't want to freak her out," he said with sadness in his voice.

"It's okay we'll work on that," she assured him as she placed Beth back in her playpen. "I'll be back in a minute Noah, feel free to make yourself comfortable," she said, going into her bedroom.

He went to Beth's playpen and kneeled before her. "Hey Monkey face, whatcha doing?"

The toddler gave him a shy smile and showed him her Elmo doll, which made him grin. "Glad to see you liked it." Beth moved her arms closer to his face and touched his nose.

Noah chuckled. "Careful little girl, you don't want me to be ugly, if that happens how am I going to make your mommy like me," he whispered. Beth giggled and set her attention back to her toys.

Shelby walked back into the living room with some of Beth's things in her bags. "Would you like to come to the park with us?" she asked.

"I'd love to," he replied smiling.

Outside they set themselves up on a bench near a sand box where Shelby put Beth so she could play. Noah and Shelby remained silent as they watched how the baby entertained herself. Shelby couldn't help but think how Noah looked so cute staring at the baby, "Why don't you go and play with her?" she encouraged him.

He nodded and sat nervously next to the one year old. "Would you like to build a little sand castle, princess?" he asked her.

By the end of the afternoon Beth felt comfortable enough around Noah to play with him on the slide and the swings. Shelby took some pictures of them so Noah could show them to his mom and sister.

"I think we should get going, it's getting cold," said Shelby as she put a coat on Beth before sitting her on her stroller. Puck realized how Shelby was slightly shivering.

"Are you cold Shelby?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

She packed away Beth's toys. "I'm fine don't…" but she wasn't able to finish her sentence before Noah put his jacket over her shoulders. Shelby smiled and adjusted the jacket on her body enjoying how cozy she felt wearing it. "Thank you Noah."

He smiled and turned to face Beth. "So, Monkey face will you let me hold you now?" he asked, and she gave her reply by giggling and lifting her arms.

Puck chuckled and raised her up, placing her over his shoulders. Beth began to play with his hair, pulling it, "Somebody is really strong," he joked.

Back at Shelby's apartment Noah sat on her sofa, waiting for her to return from putting Beth in her crib. He grabbed one of the pamphlets she had on the coffee table and started to read it. "Did you find something interesting?" asked Shelby sitting next to him.

He shook his head. "Nah I was just looking around," he replied, "Is Beth sleeping?"

Shelby nodded, "You tired her out, she's going to sleep like a rock tonight, thank you."

"No problem, I had fun too. Those are Rachel's pamphlets right?" he asked, nodding at the pile.

"Yes, I'm helping her with her applications," she explained, "Do you have any college options?"

He shrugged, "I really don't know, I'm not like Kurt and Rachel I don't have my future planned. The only thing I'm sure about is that I want to be here for Beth," he paused before lowering his head, "And for you."

That made her smile and blush. "Besides I don't earn that much money and I won't ever let my mom pay college for me, it's too much," he continued.

"You could always get a scholarship," she pointed out trying to cheer him up.

"I guess, we'll see what happens," he replied, still sounding unsure of himself.

Shelby patted him on the shoulder, "I'm sure you are going to do something amazing with your future."

He gave her a smile and got up. "I should go, my mom is working late tonight and Han and I have to cook dinner."

Shelby walked him to the door, thinking of any other comforting things she could say to him, but nothing came to her mind.

"Thanks for letting me spend this afternoon with you and Beth, it means a lot to me." Puck said.

Shelby smiled, "You're welcome to come and visit us anytime you want, just remember to call before."

After he had left Shelby kept thinking about what Rachel had said to her the day before about Noah. She wasn't sure if she could help him, but she decided to try and show him how great he really was, so that way he could start seeing it by himself.

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><p>Thanks for reading, hope you have enjoyed it, leave a review doesn't matter if it's just update soon, I always appreciate when my readers take time to leave comments. Take care, until next Monday as usual!<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **First of all sorry for spamming your inboxes last week but the website was a mess, I know how annoying is to receive the same email a bunch of times. It won't happen again.

Chapter 11 is here, and I must say I had so much fun writing it, I hope you like it and don't find it too angsty.

Two important things, first: any of you are a fan of The Hunger Games? Did you see the movie and if you did, did it measure your expectations? Here in district 12 premieres this Friday.

To my reader **Shuck fanatic: **If you still haven't read the spoiler and still want to know it you can ask me on my tumblr blog: takemeawaytonowhereplains(.)tumblr(.)com and I'll happily answer you, I don't want to tell you here because not everyone wants to read spoilers.

Thanks to my talented Beta Reader **BaddassMotherShucker94**, this is my favorite chapter of season 3 so far!

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><p><strong>Chapter XI<strong>

McKinley's football team had started a new training routine where they had to train twice per day, three times per week. Bieste had set up the schedule since a few recruiters had plans to visit the school to see how the seniors play. Finn and Puck were leaving the changing room when Noah noticed that Mike wasn't with them; it was then that he remembered that he hadn't been at the practice either, which was something very unusual for him.

"Finn, where's Mike? Is he like sick or something he never misses a practice," asked Puck.

Finn stopped his tracks and looked at Puck, "You didn't hear?"

He shook his head in response, "No, is he okay? Did something happen?"

"He got an A- on his chemistry test," explained Finn as they started to walk to their next classroom.

Puck rolled his eyes and shrugged, "So? I think the last time I got one my mom put it on the fridge."

They stopped at Finn's locker. "For us that's not a big deal, but Mike's dad is furious, he wants him to go to Harvard and be a doctor or something, so an A- is a sign that Mike is not focusing on school like he should." Finn explained as he grabbed a book. "They're in Figgins' office right now."

Puck scratched the back of his head. "That sucks; you think he'll make him drop out of the football team?"

Finn sighed, "If you were his dad, what would you think is your son's biggest distraction?" he asked.

"Glee club," replied Puck, almost like it was a reflex.

"And dancing, Mike's going to be crushed if he has to stop dancing," added Finn.

They walked in silence until they reached the classroom; they were the first ones there since they had to be in school earlier than usual. They sat down at their desk and Puck spoke again:

"You know, I think that maybe Mike's dad is not that wrong."

Finn stared at his friend, shocked. "You want Mike to leave New Directions?"

Noah shook his head. "No, not at all, if we lose him, we'll be screwed; the only good dancer we'll have is Britt, and without Mike she makes everybody look like dog's trying to walk in shoes." They laughed. "My point is that even if Mr. Chang seems a little unsupportive, he wants the best for him. Dancing is an unstable career, what if Mike gets hurt really bad, and can't dance anymore?"

Finn nodded, understanding the point. "He just wants him to have something that can earn him a lot of cash and give him a good life."

"Exactly. Mike's smart, he can be a dancing doctor or something," Noah joked before suddenly becoming serious. "At least he has a dad to be there and tell him right from wrong and all that kinda stuff."

"Yeah, it makes me wonder what my dad would be telling me right now about my mistakes," commented Finn.

Puck scoffed, "What are you complaining about? You have Burt, he's pretty cool."

Finn shrugged, "I know, but I don't love him like a father, at least not yet, and even if I do he would never replace my real dad."

"I guess you're right," replied Puck as he started to get more comfortable on the chair. He stretched his legs out and let them rest on the desk, put his hands behind his neck, closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Talking about dads how's everything with Beth?" asked Finn with a smile.

Puck stretched his arms. "It's going great, she still gets a little shy around me, but everyday she's a little more used to see me. She's so beautiful man. Don't say this to anybody not even Rachel, but I'm in love with that little girl, I can't wait to watch her as she grows up."

Finn patted him on the shoulder. "That's great man, you deserve that. Beth's really going to love you. After all, what you and Quinn did for her was a huge gesture of how important she is for you two."

The bell rang and a few students began to enter in the classroom. "Does she call you 'dada'?" continued Finn.

Puck smiled slightly; he really wanted to hear Beth calling him that. "Course not, that would be confusing for her. She calls me Pak, I'm trying to teach her to call me Noah, but I think the name is too hard for her yet."

Santana entered the room holding hands with Brittany; she was wearing a devilish smile on her face. With Brittany right behind her, she approached the desks where Finn and Puck were seated, dropped her textbooks in front of them and grinned.

"Hey squirrel head, Finnocence," she started, nodding at the two boys, "Guess who ate a bad cantaloupe?" She asked, with excitement.

Finn and Puck shrugged and exchanged confused looks, which made Santana sigh with frustration. "Mr. Clippenge, he has food poison or something so he won't be coming in for weeks."

Puck's eyes widened and he smiled, "So, free period today huh?" he assumed, starting to get ready to leave, but Santana shook her head.

"Then what's the good news?" asked Finn disappointed.

"We are getting a sub," said Santana, sitting in front of them. The four teenagers smiled.

"You think it'll be Miss. Holliday again?" asked Puck.

Brittany rested her head on Santana's shoulder. That made Puck smile; he was glad his friend finally had a chance to be with the girl she was in love with. "I hope so, we could really use a break from Mr. Schue's lame songs in Glee club," answered the Latina girl.

Finn was about to protest against what Santana had just said, but they all stayed quiet when they saw the new teacher arriving with a smile on her face. "Yep, that's not Miss Holiday," said Finn. Puck's jaw dropped; of all the teachers Figgins could have asked to sub his class, he had to choose Shelby. He mentally cursed his luck.

"Good Morning class, I'm Miss Corcoran and I'll be subbing for Mr. Clippenge for the next few weeks," explained Shelby as she wrote her name on the board.

Puck tried to stay as calm as he could; he didn't want to show any signs of mood changes to his friends, but he knew it wasn't going to be easy. There were so many things he could be tempted to do. Of course the hardest one to ignore: Shelby, just standing there, smiling, wearing high heel shoes, a pencil skirt and her purple blouse; if it was any other woman Puck would never have considered that hot, but Shelby was different in every possible way. He shut his eyes firmly and did the unbelievable: Noah Puckerman pulled out a notebook and focused intently on the textbook in front of him.

"_Yeah, this should work Puckerman, just don't stare directly at her, don't watch her walk all over the classroom, don't watch her smile, and you should be good," _he ordered himself, as he and Finn began to try and resolve some of the exercises which made up the lessons work.

His plan was working; he could actually see himself getting through the class, until he overheard some of the jocks at the back saying some inappropriate things about Shelby. He took deep, calming breaths and attempted to ignore them.

"I can't believe what those guys are saying, they could at least wait until she's not in the classroom," said Puck to Finn; it was then when he noticed his friend was staring at Shelby too. Puck nudged at Finn "What the fuck man?" he whispered, upset.

"Dude, I never realized this but, Miss Corcoran is kinda hot," commented Finn.

Santana overheard the conversation and turned to face them with a disgusted look on her face. "Seriously Finn? That's gross, you're dating her daughter." She paused and crocked an eyebrow. "Although, judging from what you just said, we can assume Rachel has passed the 40 year old test."

Finn looked confused. "The what?" he asked.

Brittany turned around and shook her head. "Stop you are embarrassing yourself," she said.

Puck and Santana chuckled. "You're dating Rachel, and you just said her mom's hot. Well Rachel is pretty much going to look like that in 20 years, if I were you I'd be more cautious about what I eat cause I doubt she would like to be with a fat, bald man" said Santana.

Shelby noticed how the little group wasn't doing the assignment, and walked over to them. She patted Santana on the shoulder and smiled: "Is everything okay here?" She looked at Noah, who immediately turned his attention to his textbook.

Finn nodded. "Yeah, sorry Miss. C."

Santana noticed how Puck seemed uncomfortable by the teacher's presence. She found it odd; Puck usually didn't care that much about what teacher's thought of him. She decided to ignore it for now.

"If you want to spend your time chatting I have no problem sending you to detention after classes, so please pay attention," ordered Shelby, before returning to her desk.

After that incident none of them attempted to talk again, which made the class pass even slower, but eventually the bell rang again indicating the class was over.

Puck sighed, relief washing over him: "Going to see Rachel?" he asked Finn.

Finn put his jacket on, "Yeah, what about you?"

Puck shrugged; lately he had been finding school more boring than usual. Everyone was paired with someone and he wasn't a fan of being the third wheel. He had considered hanging out with Quinn, but since she had told him about her plans to get Beth back he'd been avoiding her. "He's coming with me," answered Santana wrapping an arm around Puck's neck. "C'mon."

Santana and Brittany adjust themselves, so each one was on one of Noah's arms, and the trio left the class. As they were passing by Shelby's desk Puck flashed her one his charming smiles. She just shook her head laughing.

In the teacher's lounge Shelby walked to Will's usual table. He, Emma and coach Bieste were talking about what apparently seemed an important subject. She cleared her throat before speaking: "Mind if I join you?" she asked smiling.

Will smiled and grabbed a chair from one of the near tables, and gave it to Shelby: "You don't even need to ask," he said.

Once she had settled, they brought her up to date with the situation involving Mike Chang. Shelby did not voice her opinion; she didn't know Mike as well as the other teachers, but she could see how everyone had a different approach to solving the problem.

Will, on the one hand, was making clear how dancing was something really important to the young man, how it was his way of expressing his feelings. Emma, despite being in complete agreement about Will's point, stated that Mr. Chang was only doing the same thing any other concerned father would be doing: being realistic, although perhaps a little extreme.

Shannon was concerned about how the whole situation would affect Mike; she insisted that each one of them should be being aware of any changes in his mood, because he might be really stressed out.

"Shelby, what would you do in this type of predicament?" questioned Emma as she ate some of her grapes.

"You want to know my opinion?" she asked to the group surprised.

Shannon nodded. "You're the only one of us who's a parent, what would you do if your daughter tells you that she wants to dance in 13 years' time?"

Shelby smiled and fixed some of her hair. "I'd be hypocritical if I forced her to do something that she hates." She paused, "I'll encourage her to do what she loves but making clear that life doesn't always turn out the way we planned, so it's good to have a backup plan. I'll tell her that even if she doesn't succeed at what she wanted at first she will find another dream that she can fulfill, just like when I changed my dreams of performing on stage to being a mother."

They dropped the subject about Mike's dad after that answer; the table remained silent for a while, until Will sighed with frustration. "All this stuff to do with our students' families is overwhelming sometimes."

Emma grabbed his hand and gave him a comforting smile. "We all have problems like Mike's, but then we have kids like Quinn who was kicked out of her own house just because she was pregnant." Shelby winced at the image of the girl feeling so alone during such a terrifying moment in her life.

"Or Sam who watched how his family lost everything and couldn't do anything about it, and Puck who had to be the male figure of his household because his father was too much of a coward to stay with them." continued Will.

"We tell them how their lives are easy just because they're young, but we sometimes forget what some of them have had to face while they were still growing up."

Shelby watched how Emma comforted Will, and how she told him that his students were happy now, that they have each other, and that filled the emptiness of the holes left from their families. It was at that moment when she finally understood why Noah never talked about his father, and why he kept insisting on being here for Beth and herself; Noah didn't want to be like his dad, he didn't want to make Beth feel abandoned and unloved.

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><p>Puck was walking to the cafeteria when Quinn pulled him by his jacket into one of the empty classrooms. "I've been looking for you," she admitted as she sat on the teacher's desk.<p>

Puck tried not to make any type of eye contact with her. "I had football practice and classes, you know?"

Quinn laughed at his poor attempt to lie to her; he had never been good at it, at least not with her. "I know you're avoiding me, why?" she asked with a tone that for a second reminded him from the old Quinn.

"Because, your plan to get Beth back is ridiculous," he complained, obviously upset looking straight into her eyes for the first time since he entered the room.

Quinn lowered her face and sighed, "You don't want to get her back?" she whispered, her voice sounded broken.

He walked over to where she was standing and grabbed her hands. "Quinn, you need to understand we had our chance and we both decided to give her up, we can't go to Shelby's house and ask for our baby back." He lifted her chin, "I know you miss her, but you can get to know her, and Shelby won't hide who we really are to her."

Quinn gave him a trembling smile and began to play with his jacket. "You think I can met her now?"

"Well, I think you could apologize to Shelby first, but after that I don't see why you couldn't," he said smiling.

Quinn was aware that she probably couldn't count on Puck's help to accomplish her plan. It was obvious he cared about Shelby and wouldn't do anything that would hurt her, so she needed to pretend she was okay with Shelby being back in Lima if she wanted to pursue something. "Would you help me, to talk to her? I mean I was thinking we could babysit for Beth just like we did with Mr. Schue's nephews."

He chuckled at the memory; "Sure, we can talk to her before the week is over" he looked at his stomach, which it was growling, "Now can we go to the cafeteria? I'm really hungry."

That day's afternoon football practice was cancelled because Bieste had to sort out the arrangements for the musical's callback auditions, and since Puck had the entire afternoon free he decided to call Shelby and asked her if he could stop by to see Beth. She happily replied that that would be no problem, and that Beth was looking forward to seeing him.

Noah didn't feel awkward when he was at Shelby's apartment anymore, he didn't feel like he was bothering her. On the contrary, he could see that she enjoyed his company, and it didn't matter if he spent most of his time there with Beth.

As soon as she saw him standing in the doorframe, Beth immediately threw her arms open, indicating she wanted him to pick her up. Noah happily lifted her up and covered her face with kisses.

"I missed you too princess." he told her as he placed Beth on his hip and walked into the apartment's living room. Shelby smiled at the image of Noah playing with Beth on the living room floor. Beth was incredibly comfortable around him, it almost seemed like she remembered him somehow, and each time the baby giggled or called him "Pak" Noah's eyes lit up and he smiled so brightly, it was like he was about to burst with excitement. She couldn't get enough of them together.

After a while Beth got tired and started to cry, and when Shelby went to lift her up, Noah stopped her. "Would you mind if I try to calm her?" he asked timidly.

She shook her head "Go ahead, I trust you," she replied, giving him an encouraging smile.

Puck nodded and carried Beth over to the couch with him. He placed her on his chest, close to his heart and began to rub circles on the baby's back, "Shhh, it's okay Bethie I know you're tired," he cooed. Beth's cries began to stop and her breathing became steadier. Just a few minutes later, Beth stopped sniffing and gave up, falling soundly asleep.

Shelby watched the image in awe; it was such a perfect little moment between the two of them. She walked over to the couch and patted him on the shoulder; Noah opened his eyes and smiled as he passed the sleeping baby to her. Shelby mouthed a thank you to him, before going to Beth's room.

Noah got up and picked up all the toys that were scattered over the floor. "So, tell me, how did you do it?" asked Shelby who was now sitting on the couch watching him.

He placed the toys in the playpen. "Do what?" he asked with a playful tone.

Shelby got serious and gave him a stern look. "Don't try to tease me Noah, tell me."

He laughed, which made her exhale in frustration. "I'm not scared of your Coach Corcoran faces you know?" he teased as he sat down across from her.

She sighed and tried not to laugh. "Please tell me Noah" she demanded.

He shrugged and chuckled, "Honestly I don't know I just followed my instincts."

"Beth is really picky when it comes to falling asleep, but she looked so confortable with you, like if somehow…" she started remembering the image from just a few minutes before

"Like if she somehow remembered me?" finished Noah smiling. "She probably just thought I was comfy or something."

They smiled at each other for a moment before Noah picked up the remote control from the coffee table. "Do you mind?" he asked pointing at the television.

"Not at all," she replied, "As long as you don't make me watch some useless MTV show."

Puck burst into laughter and switched through the channels, stopping on a "How I Met Your Mother" rerun, and began to laugh almost immediately. Shelby timidly sat next to him, and tried to understand what was so funny about the show. Noah observed her confused face from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but think that it was incredibly cute. "Wanna see something else?" he asked as he carefully placed his arm on the back of the couch, making sure his fingertips rested near her shoulders.

Shelby shrugged, "Whatever you want to watch is fine," she assured him. They ended up watching the whole marathon of the show and by the time they were halfway through it Shelby was laughing as much as Noah. She waited until the commercial break to speak:

"Are you hungry Noah?" she asked.

He lowered his gaze embarrassed, "You heard my stomach, didn't you?"

Shelby shook her head. "No, but I am hungry, and I could use some company for a change," she admitted.

He smiled at her offer. "In that case, yes I'm hungry and I'd love to have dinner with you."

Shelby ordered some Chinese food, and after a really annoying discussion with Noah she let him paid for it. They settled all the food on the coffee table and began to eat, well Shelby was eating, and Puck was fighting with the chopsticks and losing.

"Seems like I'm going to have dinner with another baby after all," she joked and pointed at him with her chopsticks holding some chicken. "Do you need me to feed you?" she continued.

Puck grunted, leaned forward and bit the food. Shelby stared at him shocked, her cheeks blushing slightly. She didn't expect that at all, much less feeling so intimidated by his eyes. He chuckled and got up to get at fork and a spoon. "Second drawer Noah" said Shelby.

They ate in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Shelby hadn't stopped thinking about Noah's situation with his father, and decided to bring the subject up:

"Will told me that Mike had some issues with his dad today," she started.

Puck nodded in response, "Yeah and over something stupid, Mike got an A- and his dad got pissed."

Shelby took a sip of water and played with the food container. "He also mentioned something about your father." she continued, keeping a calm tone.

Noah stopped eating and put the container on the table, "He did?"

Shelby immediately regretted mentioning it; she could see how his body language had changed, he had tensed up and was avoiding her eyes. "I'm sorry Noah; I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's okay Shelby," he assured her as he started to eat again, "It's not like he knows that much anyway, Miss Pillsbury probably told him about what I said to her during my freshman year, which is nothing." he explained.

"Would you like to know what happened with him?" he asked her, after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Shelby could see it was hard for him to even ask that question, "Only if you really want to tell me, you don't need to feel obligated."

He looked straight into her eyes and sighed, "I was little when he left. I told everybody who asked me about it that he just left one night all of the sudden. But he really left one morning after a fight with my mom."

Shelby patted him on one of his knees, "It's okay you can trust me."

Noah gave her a shy smile; he was a little intimidated because he realized he had Shelby's full attention. But he still carried on:

"My dad was frustrated about everything. He had made bad choices, he wasn't happy and Hannah and I could see it; he always had something to yell or complain about and of course that upset my mom. They fought a lot, we tried to ignore them, but one night I just had enough."

Noah looked at Shelby and could see her eyes were full of concern; she could tell it was painful for him to talk about this. "I made sure Hannah was sleeping and went down to the living room. When my ma saw me she ordered me to go to bed, but I didn't listen. I went straight over to where he was sitting and just yelled. I asked him to stop, and told him that he was hurting us."

He laughed bitterly at the memory. "I was just a skinny boy; I wasn't a problem for him. He looked at me defiantly, and told me to go upstairs, but I was fucking stubborn just like I am now, and insisted I told him everything that was on my mind, every single fear and every disappointing thing." he paused, "He just yelled at me, telling me to shut up or he would shut me up, and he did."

Shelby gasped and lowered her head. "It only took one second, it was fast, so fast I thought I didn't feel it," he touched one spot on his cheek with his hand. "My mom kneeled on the floor with me and hugged me as she cried. She took me up to my bedroom and tucked me in my bed. She stayed with me rubbing my head and putting ice on my cheek until I closed my eyes."

Shelby didn't know when she had done it, but she was holding one of his shaking hands. He smiled at the gesture, "I'm so sorry Noah," she said, "You don't have to tell me the rest."

He squeezed her hand, "I want to," he admitted. "After my mom left he entered the room. I thought he was going to hit me again, but he sat down next to me and apologized; I think he knew I wasn't sleeping, he told me he was sorry for not being the dad me and Hannah deserved, he just let it all out," he paused.

"The next morning when I walked into the kitchen, my mom was alone. It broke my heart, cause I actually believed he was going to change for the better. I sat across from her, neither of us said anything, but that day we made a silent promise: to never let each other down. We became a team the three of us and despite everything we came out fine."

Shelby remained quiet just holding his hand. Noah let his back rest on the couch and sighed feeling incredibly relieved; it felt good to tell someone about that moment of his life, and the fact that Shelby had been the one who listened, made him feel better about it.

"Are you afraid you're going to end up like him?" she asked.

"Sometimes, especially when I lose control of my temper, I see so much about him in me," he muttered.

Shelby patted him on the shoulder. "Noah, please look at me," she demanded. She waited until his eyes were locked with hers before she continued. "You are different from him, trust me. Would you ever consider hitting Beth just because you're mad about something, or because she yelled at you?"

He shook his head firmly; "I'd hit a wall before landing a hand on her."

She touched the same cheek he had rubbed moments before. "See? You are not like him; you're caring and wonderful with her, and I know you won't give up on her like he did with you."

Puck smiled and hugged her tightly, "Thank you Shelby," he whispered.

After that conversation, they picked up their food off the table and watched some more television in silence, only that this time Shelby rested her head on Noah's shoulder. It was a way of telling him that he wasn't alone and he could trust her. He understood and appreciated it and smiled to himself before wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

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><p>That was it! Next chapter is "THE KISS" chapter and I must confess I feel a lot of pressure, but I'll do my best to write something that you will enjoy to read.<p>

If you have a tumblr blog you can check out mine or if you want you can leave your blog's URL in the review, I always follow all the shucklings

Have nice week, leave reviews please, and may the odds be ever in your favor!


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Hey everybody happy Easter week! Here's chapter 12 I love writing it, even though I have to struggle a little bit.

Since we're getting closer to the point on the show when Shelby leaves you are free to leave suggestions of what you might like to read, I have a few ideas but I like to see what you want!

Thanks to my Beta Reader **BadassMotherShucker94** can't wait to read your review! :')

The song I used in this chapter is called "Never Change" by Chase Coy here's a link if you want to hear it .com/watch?v=ha_OiVSdHU8

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><p><strong>Chapter XII<strong>

Puck was standing at his locker grabbing some books. Lately he had been focusing on school a lot, because he was now aware that if he wanted to be the type of father Beth deserved, he needed to graduate from High School, go to college and get a career. He wanted Beth to be proud of him, regardless of whether he could be in a relationship with Shelby or not. He was about to leave when Santana closed his locker for him. Puck rolled his eyes and she smirked "What's up?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Not much" he replied simply. "How come you're by yourself today?" he asked, looking around for Brittany.

Santana leaned against the lockers. "Britt is giving a tour to that Rory kid, he's so annoying and he can't keep his eyes off of her," she looked at her nails, "I tried to go with them but I couldn't understand a single word he was saying."

He chuckled and couldn't believe Santana was actually a little jealous of Rory. "C'mon let's talk, I feel like I don't see you that much anymore," she paused. "Especially since Britt and I quit New Directions, are you mad at me too?" she asked worried that one of her best friends could be angry with her.

Puck shook his head. "I like Glee club, but I could see how you and most of the girls were left out, so I understand why you guys did it. Anyway, we've been friend's way before glee, I wouldn't be mad at you for that."

They made their way to the courtyard and sat down at a table. Santana could see that something was bothering her friend; he was trying to laugh at her jokes, but he was constantly distracted. "Ok what's the problem?" she questioned with a mixture of frustration and worry on her voice.

He sighed bitterly. "It's Quinn," he stated simply.

Santana gave him a quizzical look. "She's crazy, what's new with that?"

"We asked Shelby if it was okay for us to babysit Beth, and she agreed, but I'm not sure what the deal with Quinn is, I think she might be planning something."

Puck knew the reason why Shelby had so easily said yes to their suggestion, it was because of him; Shelby trusted Noah and she knew that if he was with Quinn he wouldn't let her do anything crazy around Beth.

Santana nodded understanding. "You think she's still planning to get the baby back?"

"I'm sure she's going to try to do something," he stated.

"You want my advice?" she suggested.

Puck nodded in response, which Santana took as a signal to continue. "Just be aware of any weird behavior. She's probably going to plant something in Shelby's house. Pay attention to where she puts it and then throw it away," she explained. "Oh and don't waste time trying to explain why she's doing something wrong, she won't listen to you, believe me I've tried."

"Thanks San," Puck said with a smile.

She returned it before lowering her gaze. "Now, can I ask you something?"

Puck looked confused; she never asked for permission to ask something, it didn't matter how serious the subject was. "Anything." he reminded her.

"What's the deal between you and Shelby?" she started as she crossed her arms and crocked an eyebrow.

Noah's eyes widened a bit. He knew that question would be asked sooner or later, not from Finn of course, but definitely from Santana. After all she was a girl, and she could notice his attitude was slightly different since Shelby had arrived at McKinley.

"What are you talking about?" he continued sounding as indifferent as he could.

Santana scoffed and shook her head. "You've been acting weird around her, you daydream in class instead of sleep, you do your homework, and you get nervous when she asks you something in class. You've been anything but subtle, Puckerman."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm just trying to prove to her that I'm a good guy now so I can be part of Beth's life," he lied and if he had been saying this to anyone else it would be okay, but not for Santana.

She caught the lie as soon as it escaped his mouth; she knew he was hiding something, she had been suspecting for weeks. Santana had been noticing the way Puck looked at Shelby in class or in the hallways when he'd thought no one was paying attention. She knew it; his friend had fallen head over heels in love with Shelby Corcoran.

But even though Santana just wanted to spill it out and enjoy the shocked look on Puck's face, she was smart enough to understand how delicate the subject was, especially inside the school. So, she decided to play along:

"Hmm okay, that's fair I guess," she lied too, hoping that her friend would come to talk to her when he was ready, just like she did when she needed to talk to somebody about Brittany.

* * *

><p>Babysitting was going well, despite Beth not feeling too comfortable around Quinn in the beginning. It was understandable that she was extremely possessive with her, but once Quinn had loosened up Beth began to play with her.<p>

Noah thought it was funny because their firsts reunions with their daughter were completely different. He was nervous and afraid that Beth might not like him, while Quinn was extremely possessive. She went straight over to the baby and grabbed her like it was going to be the last time they would be together again. He imagined that was the way Shelby felt the first time she hugged Rachel after sixteen years; it was a painful embrace filled with fear but also expectations. He was hoping Quinn would forget about sabotaging Shelby's mother qualities once she realized that she could be there for Beth, but seeing the baby just made her mind more determined to get her back. She began to put strange things around the apartment.

"Could you just take the time to realize how happy Beth is with Shelby?" demanded Puck.

Quinn kept placing things. "She'll be happier with us, once Social Services come around and accuse Shelby of being an unfit mother, and they give us Beth back," she stated, sure of her plan.

He stared at her with a mixture of anger and confusion. "You really have no idea do you?" he said as he sat up on the kitchen counter. "If you keep doing this, social services won't give us Beth, they'll put her in some foster home and then we'll never see her again!" He punched the table. "Stop being so selfish Quinn."

"I won't let you do something that you'll regret, because Beth doesn't deserve to pay for our mistakes. As long as I am here, I won't let you do anything that might hurt Beth or Shelby," he said with determination.

Quinn remained silent, analyzing what Puck just had said; she knew him and she could detect something else besides love for their daughter in that speech. _"Maybe he has feelings for Shelby,_" she thought. She contained an evil laugh; it was just a matter of time until something happen between the two of them. Of course she wasn't sure if Shelby felt something for Puck, but she was counting on his charm with older women, and also the fact that he now had this other, softer side because of Beth, he was practically irresistible.

She picked up her belongings and walked to the door. "You know Puck, there's more than one way to make her look like an unfit mother," she began as she opened the front door.

"What is that suppose to mean?" he asked confused, but he received no answer, Quinn was already outside of the apartment.

Noah sighed bitterly and walked over to the playpen where Beth was sitting looking straight at him. "Sorry you had to hear that, you see Quinn is confused, but she really does love you." Beth giggled and lifted her arms up.

"You are too spoiled princess I can't be lifting you up all the time," he joked and walked with her around the apartment, picking up all the things Quinn had left spread around the place. Puck put them all inside his backpack and then placed it in a place where Beth couldn't reach it.

After that Puck fed some baby food to Beth and sat down on the couch with her on his lap. They watched some cartoons until Beth fell asleep on Noah's chest. Shelby returned a while later and found the pair soundly sleeping on her couch. She smiled and thought it was one of the cutest things she had ever seen.

She picked up Beth from Noah's embrace and he immediately opened his eyes concerned. "It's okay Noah is me," she assured him, smiling. Puck sighed, feeling slightly embarrassed because he was sleeping on her couch. He adjusted himself while she was putting Beth in her crib.

"Where's Quinn?" asked Shelby now back at the living room.

"She had umm, stuff to do, which she had forgotten about," he muttered avoiding her eyes. He hated lying to Shelby.

Shelby nodded. "Would you mind to watch Beth a little longer? I want to take a shower."

Puck smiled and grabbed the baby monitor from her hands. "You don't have to ask, go ahead and take all the time you need."

About half an hour later Shelby reappeared in the living room, looking relaxed. "Feeling better?" asked Noah with a smile on his face.

"Am I that obvious?" she joked ashamed.

He took a moment to focus on her appearance thinking she looked absolutely beautiful. "Just a little," he chuckled.

Shelby gave him a frown, which caused him to laugh even more. She sighed, feeling frustrated. "Did she wake up or something?"

Noah shook his head. "I heard her getting restless on the monitor, but she managed to calm herself."

Shelby sat down and leaned right back against the couch closing her eyes. She sighed deeply. "Good that means I have a little more time to myself."

He got up and stood up behind her, he was unsure if he should do what he was planning, but he wanted to take the risk. Noah extended his arms, gently touched the fabric of her shirt and began to give her a massage on her shoulders.

Shelby immediately melted at his touch; it was really gentle and relaxing. She knew she had to tell him to stop, but she couldn't, she was enjoying the attention. Shelby leaned her head backwards, eyes closed and Noah finally saw his second opportunity to kiss her. He moved his face closer to her, but just when he was about to steal the kiss Beth's cries sounded from the monitor. He couldn't believe his luck.

"_Seriously? First Rachel and now Beth is cockblocking me?"_ he thought frustrated. He watched how Shelby frowned; she was obviously tired and didn't want to get up. "I'll go and get her," he told her.

He returned seconds later with a smiling Beth on his hip. "Hey Bee," said Shelby smiling as she took a hold of her daughter. "Mommy missed you today," she continued as she kissed the baby's head. She sat down again with Beth on her lap and looked at Noah:

"Thank you for your help today, do you want to stay and have dinner with us?" she offered.

Noah frowned. "I wish I could but I have plans, the guys and I are having a Call of Duty marathon at Blaine's house, and I kinda said I'd go" he said sadly because he would rather stay with them. "Would you lovely ladies accept a rain check?" he asked with his charming tone.

Shelby laughed and looked at Beth, "I don't know what do you think sweetie?"

Puck rolled his eyes, and approached his baby girl. "I won't take no for an answer," he insisted as he tickled her belly. Beth giggled in response, "I'll take that as a yes," he said as he kissed her head. And with that he was out of the apartment.

Over the next few days, Noah and Shelby had proven how much they care for each other. First was Shelby; she had helped Noah find a new job, cleaning the indoor pool where she lived. He was so happy when he got it; he liked to know that somebody truly believed in him besides his mother and sister, and a few glee members.

Then it was Noah's turn. He helped Shelby with Beth, as always, but this time he had serenaded his girls. He sang from his heart, meaning every single lyric of that song, because he _had_ been waiting for them. And later when she opened up to him and confessed that she felt lonely sometimes, he assured that he would always be there for her. Simple and honest gestures were all they needed.

On Thursday afternoon Noah was working at Shelby's building when she texted him, asking if he could stop by her place because Beth was in a really bad mood and she couldn't calm her. Puck ignored how tired he was and went straight to the apartment as soon as he finished his work of the day. Shelby opened the door and gave him a warm smile.

"I know you're having a hard week, sorry for bothering you but I don't know what else to do," she admitted.

He stepped inside. "It's fine, I'm glad you told me, you know I can't say no when it comes to Beth."

Noah picked up the crying baby from the playpen and began to rock her, but she was really cranky, because she kept crying out loud. He walked with her around the room and began to sing:

_If you hear this wherever you are_

_Just know I need you here_

_I need you near me now_

_You were brighter than the pale white moon_

_Reflected in your eyes_

_So I guess it's no surprise_

_I can't forget you_

_No matter what I do_

_I will always carry you in my heart_

_You'll always be my shooting star_

_Autumn days will fade away_

_But memories will always stay the same_

_I'm hoping you will never change_

_Don't ever change_

Shelby watched the moment impressed. She was actually a little jealous, because Beth liked Noah's voice more than hers, but also thankful that he was helping her, it felt nice to know she could count on him and as she expected Beth gave up to his charming voice and fell asleep. She shook her head and walked to Noah who was carefully placing Beth back in her playpen. She patted him on the back. "Thank you," she whispered.

He turned to face her and smiled. It was then when he noticed how close they were. It was the moment he had been waiting for; they were close enough, no interruptions, eyes locked it was his opportunity. Noah took the chance; he leaned forward and captured her lips with his. It wasn't an aggressive kiss, it was subtle and sweet, he wanted to enjoy every single detail about Shelby's lips and damn, it was heavenly, but the real surprise of the moment was when Shelby started to kiss him back.

Noah could feel how unsure Shelby was of her actions; he could feel her guilt and regret. He cupped her face with his hands and ended the kiss. He looked straight into her eyes and tried to tell her how he felt, but she still doubted him. Puck kissed her again as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Shelby tried to fight it, she wanted to fight it, but she didn't want to listen to her mind, she rather listen to her feelings, and they told her to enjoy that kiss, because it was full of passion and commitment. She wrapped her hands around his neck and gently pulled the hair of his Mohawk deepening the kiss.

He smiled at her action and gently sucked her bottom lip, causing her to moan in response. Eventually he had to pull back for air but he kept his forehead resting against hers. "Why did you do that?" she asked, gasping for breath.

He closed his eyes and rubbed her nose with his. "Why wouldn't I? Shelby I really…"

"Don't say it!" she ordered panicking, glad that Beth was a heavy sleeper because she had raised her voice. "This was a mistake," she said breaking the embrace.

He grabbed one of her hands. "Then why did you kissed me back?" he asked keeping a gentle tone.

Shelby shook her head firmly, sat down on the couch and buried her face in her hands for a moment. "I think you need to leave Noah," she said.

"Please Shelby, let's just talk about this, I don't want to feel awkward around you" he insisted.

She grunted, "Go, Noah please," she begged as she looked straight into his eyes.

He nodded and walked to the door. "I wish I could say I'm sorry for what I did, but I'm not, because I've been waiting for a long time to do it."

Noah didn't leave the apartment block though; he sat down against the door outside and waited until he heard Shelby approach it. "I'm still here," he said.

Shelby sighed and rested her back against the wood "Why?" she asked, almost laughing with nervousness.

"Because you need to know why I kissed you, and if I have to say it this way I'll do it," he stated.

"You are not just another cougar to me. You make me feel different, like I'm good enough to succeed in anything if I try," he said before laughing slightly, because he felt silly talking to a door, but he managed to continue.

"You are beautiful, breathtaking actually, and you listen to every stupid thing I have to say," she laughed and he smiled because she was getting more relaxed. "I want to prove to you that I can be a good guy for Beth, but what I really want to show you is that I can be a good boyfriend for you too, if you give me a chance," he confessed.

Silence. There was no response. Noah sighed and kept waiting, finally after a few excruciating minutes he felt the door opening behind him. He gave at Shelby his signature lopsided grin and his sad puppy look. She looked overwhelmed but at least she wanted to listen to him, and that what's a progress.

"We need to talk," she said gesturing him to enter again.

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><p>Happy Easter break rest, and have tons of fun! Don't forget, reviews are always appreciated, remember they make my Mondays a lot better.<p>

Take care and until next week as usual!


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **Hi there! Thanks for all the feedback you left me last week especially to the ones who left suggestions already! One of you said that you would like Shelby to stay after Sectionals, and that I should write the Shuck moments of the episodes after Hold On To Sixteen. I must say I've been considering doing that, but I think we have a couple of fanfics around that idea already so I'm not sure yet, but I can assure to all of you that for now I'm planning to keep Shelby and Beth around at least until the Christmas Special and maybe during Yes/No

Please keep sharing your suggestions of what you might like to read on the next chapters.

Sorry if you don't find this chapter as entertaining as the last one, but the way I see it, even if Shelby has feelings for Puck she would not be happy with them at first. So I hope you understand. And also I really hated "The First Time" so I had to change a few things.

**BadassMotherShucker94** is the best Beta Reader ever and that's why I have to thank her every single Monday so Thanks for your help, really!

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><p><strong>Chapter XIII<strong>

Confusion was running through Shelby's mind. Noah had just kissed her, and, what's more, she returned the kiss. It didn't matter how many times she tried to tell herself it was reflex, because she knew that a more logical response would have been slapping him instead. She kissed him because she had enjoyed it. Unfortunately that only lasted for a minute or so. Shelby couldn't believe what she had done; she had kissed the biological father of her child, a student, a teenager who could easily be her son and now he was actually talking to her through a wooden door, because she had kicked him out of her house.

Noah's confession worked, Shelby felt calm enough to let him in again. "We need to talk," she said gesturing him to enter again.

He nodded and went inside. He tried to lock eyes with her, but she was definitely avoiding his gaze. Puck sat down at the kitchen table and awkwardly waited for Shelby who was putting Beth in her crib. He felt terrible, the kiss was replaying in his mind, and each time it seemed worse. Noah didn't regret it, but he was more afraid of the consequences of his actions; he didn't want to lose all the progress he had made with Beth over the past weeks.

When Shelby returned to the kitchen she sat down across from Noah. He smiled shyly and tried to reach for her hands but she immediately retrieved them from the table. "Noah," she started looking at him straight in the eyes for the first time. "What we did was wrong."

He shook his head. "Why? Is it because of the age difference? Because I really don't see a problem there, age is just a number."

"That's just one of the many things, just thinking about it reminds me of a Greek tragedy." she replied.

"Look, I understand it would be complicated, but I really like you. I meant what I said before." He paused. "I'm not trying to take advantage of anything. I would talk to Rachel. I could ask for her permission if that's what you're worried about."

Shelby stayed quiet just staring at him with a troubled look on her face. Puck sighed; he could see it was too much for her to handle at the moment. "Would you prefer if we ignore what happened?" he suggested sounded defeated.

"Yes I would, and I would also like if we went a few days without talking to each other," she added. She hated doing that to Noah because she knew it would be hard for him to stay away from Beth.

Puck nodded. "Fine, but Shelby?" He waited until she locked eyes with him before continuing. "I'm not giving up yet, because like I said I want to be your boyfriend and I know it's not going to be easy to prove that to you, but what the hell, all relationships are complicated if you ask me."

He left the apartment after that. Shelby watched him approach his truck from the living room window. She brushed her lips with her fingertips and sighed. Shelby frowned at the image of Noah resting against the door of the truck, arms crossed and obviously frustrated; he turned around and kicked one of the tires before pulling out his cellphone and dialing a number.

"I can't believe I'm calling you, but you're the only one who knows about this, so whenever you can, return my call Jesse," he said to the answering machine as got inside the truck.

Shelby suddenly felt a glimpse of fear. "_Who could be he calling_" she thought. Even something as simple as that kiss could cause a lot of trouble if the wrong person knew about it. Shelby sighed and went to her bedroom to see if she could get some sleep.

* * *

><p>Rachel showed up at her mother's house the next afternoon. When Shelby opened the door she noticed how Rachel looked really stressed out. "Are you okay? You look tired, said Rachel sitting down next to Beth on the floor.<p>

Shelby fixed some of her hair behind her ears. "I'm fine I just didn't sleep that well," she admitted.

"I see," replied Rachel. "Can we talk about something that's bothering me?"

Shelby nodded and poured some black coffee in her mug before sitting at the table. "Of course we can, that's why I'm here," she reminded her with a comforting smile.

Rachel smiled. "You know West Side Story is opening soon right?" she started as she nervously played with her fingers.

"Yes, I can't wait to see you actually," answered Shelby with excitement.

Rachel sighed hugged her legs, and rested her chin on her knees. "The thing is, Artie says that Blaine and I don't deliver enough passion in our performances because we…" she shut her eyes embarrassed. "Because we haven't had sex yet," she muttered.

Shelby nearly spilt her coffee. The subject was not only uncomfortable for Rachel; it was uncomfortable for her too. "And you believed him?" she asked.

Rachel nodded. "Well he is the director," she pointed out.

"And he's what 16, 17 years old? It's his first play, is not like he has that much experience in the business anyway." She paused and took a sip of her drink. "Rachel, please tell me you are not considering having sex with Finn just because Artie said that nonsense?"

Rachel shut her eyes again. "I need to excel in this performance so I can get into NYADA!" she shrieked.

Shelby grunted; at this point she just wanted to go to McKinley and yell at that kid for being so immature and incompetent. "Honey" she started as she sat down on a chair closer to where her two daughters were playing.

"If you feel like you are ready to take the next step in your relationship that's fine, it's perfectly normal but don't sleep with Finn for the wrong reasons." She paused and looked directly at Rachel. "Do it because you are both in love and happy and because it feels right. You and Blaine are both talented. I have no doubts that you'll be incredible; you don't measure a good performance just because the actors are not having sex. That wouldn't explain why there are so many actors with such an active sexual life but they are still terrible."

Rachel laughed. "You're right, thanks mom," she said smiling. "I'm going to call Blaine, I don't want him to do something stupid either," she said as she went into Shelby's room to make the phone call.

Shelby sighed relieved; she was glad that Rachel took her advice. She turned to face Beth who was playing with her toys. Shelby smiled at the picture, "Thank God there's still some time until I have to repeat that conversation with you," she said.

* * *

><p>Puck was lying on his bed looking at the ceiling with his cellphone on his stomach. It had only been one day but he already missed Shelby, although he missed Beth even more. He wanted to call her, but he didn't have any idea of what he should say. He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep, but just a few minutes later he felt his cellphone buzzing. He picked it up and smiled when he saw the name on the screen.<p>

"Dude, finally!" He said sitting up.

Jesse chuckled. "Should I say Congrats?" he asked.

"She called you, didn't she?" asked Puck, embarrassed.

"Of course she did, it's me we're talking about." He complained. "Don't worry she didn't say nothing bad about you" he added hurriedly.

"I'm seriously freaking out here," admitted Noah as he scratched the back of his neck. "I think I fucked everything up."

"Relax you didn't, look are you busy?" asked Jesse.

Puck hesitated at the question, "No but aren't you in California or something?"

"Let's just say I couldn't stay away from Ohio that long," explained Jesse. "Meet me at Carmel in about an hour," he ordered before hanging up.

Following the orders of his now self-proclaimed wing man, Puck arrived at Carmel High School around five o'clock. He noticed how the parking lot was pretty much empty except for a couple of cars. He saw a group of students coming out of the school, looking exhausted. They were leaving the auditorium and it was then when he understood why Jesse St. James was back in Ohio; he was the new coach of Vocal Adrenaline. Usually he would use that type of information to benefit New Directions, but his encounter with Jesse didn't have anything to do with Glee, as far as he knew he was just there meeting a friend.

Jesse approached his truck and knocked on the window. "Sorry, rehearsal was longer than usual, follow me let's go somewhere we can be sure nobody will suspect anything."

About 30 minutes later they arrived at a dinner, far enough from McKinley and Carmel that they were unlikely to run into anyone they knew. Jesse ordered something to drink as did Puck; they waited until their orders were on the table before starting to talk.

"So, tell me what happened," demanded Jesse with a serious tone.

"You already know Shelby told you," replied Puck.

Jesse nodded. "Maybe so, but I want to know your side of the story."

Puck shrugged and took a sip of his soda. "I just kissed her, I had the chance and I took it and it was amazing," he said, grinning like a goof.

Jesse's jaw dropped. He was impressed, he knew Puck's feelings were real but this new side of the so-called 'badass' was a little surprising. "I can't tell you what she said to me, because I respect her privacy, and she confided those things to me for a reason," clarified Jesse, before pausing. "But I do believe she has feelings for you too, it's just very confusing for her."

"I just don't get why?" said Puck, feeling increasingly frustrated.

"You have to try to see this whole deal from her perspective; she has a lot to lose if she tries to be with you right now," explained Jesse. "Besides she's scared, this has all happened so quickly and well its kind off intense if you ask me."

Noah remained silent looking at the table. "What should I do then, just forget about her?"

Jesse shook his head. "Not at all! I'm just telling you to be a little more supportive." He looked at the menu, "I'm pretty hungry we should order something," he said calling a waitress.

Puck rolled his eyes and looked through the menu. "Yeah sure, I'll have a burger and some fries please," he said to the young woman.

"I'll have the same but with onion rings please," added Jesse flashing her a smile. "So, what we were saying," he continued jokingly, which cause Puck to gave him a deathly glare.

"I'm kidding relax man, you want my advice?" he asked.

Puck scoffed. "No, I just wanted to drive for like two hours to have a burger with you," he replied sarcastically.

"Baby steps," he stated simply. Puck gave him a quizzical look. "Take it slowly, like you've been doing so far, make sure to show her that you'll always be there for her and Beth. When she feels comfortable enough she'll say how she feels about you," explained Jesse.

Puck nodded and started to eat the food which had arrived. "I think I can do that."

"Remember, I'm nearby now. If you screw everything up I won't hesitate to come to your house and teach you a lesson," warned Jesse to Puck.

Puck laughed in response. "Don't worry, Shelby is not the only one who was a lot to lose here; even if we don't end up together I'll make sure to not hurt her," he assured Jesse.

* * *

><p>West Side Story was a success regardless of Artie's bad advice to Blaine and Rachel. In the end the two of them decided to wait for the right moment to have sex with their respective partners, and like Shelby said, nobody judged their performances based on that. Puck enjoyed being on stage as well; he always liked it, whether it was when he was performing with the Glee Club, or doing something different like when he sang with the Acafellas, or in this case in the school play.<p>

On stage, he took the opportunity to look at Shelby every time he could, and she seemed happy to see Rachel on stage. Of course she eventually looked at him when she thought he wouldn't notice it, but he always did. When the curtains were closed, Puck ran to where Santana was standing and hugged her.

"You were amazing," he said smiling.

She pulled away from him but still had her arms around him. "Of course I was," she smirked. "You weren't so bad yourself, I saw a certain someone couldn't keep their eyes off you," she said, referring to Shelby.

Puck looked confused, but before he could ask her whom she was talking about she had already made her way to the other side of the stage and was hugging Mike and Quinn. He shrugged and went to congratulate the others.

Later that day he was at Artie's house with the others celebrating, but was extremely bored. Santana approached him and sat down next to him on the stairs.

"Don't drink so much, you're going to kill yourself," she joked. He replied with a grunt and a shake of his head.

"You'd rather be somewhere else don't you?" she assumed, smiling knowingly.

"I, uh," he muttered unsure of how to answer.

Santana patted him on the shoulder. "You want to be with Beth right?" she asked trying really hard to not bring Shelby into the conversation.

Puck nodded relieved. "Yeah I actually do," he admitted sadly.

"Go sneak out; I'll make sure no one notices until you're gone. If they ask I'll just said you have other plans with your family and didn't want to interrupt everybody by saying goodbye."

"Thanks San" he said getting up. She smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Go and spend some time with your girl, I'm pretty sure she misses you too," she said smirking.

On his way to Shelby's house he stopped to buy some ice cream, thinking it would be a nice way to start their conversation. He kept remembering every piece of advice Jesse had given him, as he was getting closer to the door. Noah took a deep breath before knocking. When Shelby opened it he just smiled and lifted up the ice cream.

"The party was boring, so I was wondering if you'd like to share this with me?" he said giving her his sad puppy look.

Shelby leaned against the door frame and smiled. "What flavor is that?" she asked.

"Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, a little bird told me it's your favorite," he answered grinning.

Shelby rolled her eyes, contained a smile and let him enter. "Beth is asleep, she was feeling a little sick today," she started as she search for some bowls in the cupboards.

"Is she okay?" he asked concerned.

Shelby sat down on the couch. "Yes, she's just grumpy because she had stomach ache."

Puck scooped some ice cream into the bowls and handed one to her. "Well, if you need any help you know you can call at any time," he reminded her.

"I'll keep that in mind next time she wakes up at 3 am crying" she joked.

"Oh please feel free to bother me, 3 am is my favorite time of the day to wake up," he continued, smiling at the fact that they could still share a joke with each other.

They kept eating surrounded by that weird silence that was only comfortable for them, until Shelby spoke:

"You did a good job in the play," she said in a casual tone.

Puck chuckled embarrassed. "You think so? Thanks, I had fun," he admitted. "Of course I'm not Blaine, but I enjoyed it."

Shelby smiled. "Did Finn mention something to you about Artie and…"

"The whole sex for the sake of the play?" he cut her off. "We talked about it, and Finn decided that even if Rachel asked him to… well you know, he would said no, because it wouldn't be the perfect moment" he paused. "He's not the smartest guy, but he really respects Rachel."

Shelby smiled. "Thank you," she said simply.

"For what?" he asked looking confused.

"For talking with Finn," she expanded.

Puck nodded. "Well I assumed you'd talked to Rachel so when he told me about it, I tried to help too," he explained.

"Sorry for kicking you out the other day too," she muttered without facing him.

Noah fixed some of her hair behind of her ears. "Sorry for kissing you all off the sudden."

The room elapsed into silence again, except for the low volume of the television. Noah looked down at Shelby's left hand, which was resting near his right hand. He sighed and remembered what Jesse told him: _"Baby steps"_ he thought. He held his breath and carefully brushed his fingers against hers before intertwined them. Shelby looked at the gesture from the corner of her eye. She felt a little worried, and insecure at her feelings, but at this point she didn't doubt Noah's feelings towards her anymore.

"Would you like to watch something else?" she asked, keeping her gaze fixed on the television.

He shrugged and started to rub her knuckles with his thumb, trying to relax her. "Whatever you want to watch is fine."

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><p>That's all for now, I promised you'll have a lot of cute and lovely Shuck moments on the next chapter! Please leave reviews, and don't be shy to share your ideas for the chapters after Hold On To Sixteen I will consider all off them when we get to that point. I wish you all a great week!<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: **Calm down I'm here I'm NOT abandoning this fic, you guys are too great, I can't do that to you. Sorry for the little delay with this chapter I had a really complicated weekend and my Beta Reader's laptop was broke until yesterday. But here's chapter 14 and something tells me you are really going to like it.

If you have any ideas of what you might like to read after the sectionals chapter don't be afraid to share them! Remember for now Shelby and Beth are staying until Christmas.

To my reader **elphielove** si quieres saber el spoiler (que para estas alturas de la temporada es bastante obvio) puedes preguntarme en mi blog en tumblr takemeawaytonowhereplains(.)tumblr(.)com, no me gusta dejar spoilers aquí y sí como puedes ver hablo español =)

You guys know who's the greatest Beta Reader ever? Well that's **BadassMotherShucker94 **yeah her, I just wanted to make it clear.

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><p><strong>Chapter XIV<strong>

Noah Puckerman had never told anyone he could play the piano, not even Finn or Santana. His mother had insisted that he needed to participate in another activity besides judo, soccer or skateboarding. Deborah Puckerman had paid for him to have lessons when he was 9 and he had went to his teacher's house every single Tuesday and Friday afternoon until he was about to start high school. He never admitted it but if it wasn't for his mother and the piano lessons he would have never found a love for playing the guitar, and he would have never joined New Directions.

Puck had never felt the need to show off this particular talent in front of his friends, until he saw Shelby singing with Mr. Schue. He felt jealous; he wanted to sing a love song with her. Noah was aware that his teacher didn't have any feelings for Shelby, because he was in love with Emma, but that didn't stop this primal instinct of proving to Shelby how talented he was from invading his body.

He walked to the piano, and with Finn's help they moved it. Puck never removed his eyes from Shelby until he sat down and began to play the keys. He knew the songs so he managed to follow the rhythm by ear.

Shelby couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Noah was playing the piano and by the look in his eyes she could tell he was playing it for her. She could have died of embarrassment, but thanks to Will and the kids she managed to keep herself together. She had to admit it, Noah was being incredibly sweet, and he actually kept his word and gave her the space she had asked for.

After the little moment between them the night of the play he didn't show up at her door. He limited himself to texting her, asking only for Beth and nothing else, and Shelby had to admit she missed his company. She smirked. _"Two can play this game of embarrassing the other in public," _she thought before singing the line "And my lipstick on your face," directly at him. As she expected it nearly killed him. The shocked look on his face was adorable and it made her smile.

Puck couldn't believe Shelby was teasing him in front of everybody. He almost made a fool of himself, and he couldn't let it slide; he was going to make things even. That's why that day after geometry class he talked to her seductively, not caring that he was breaking the student teacher boundaries, but making sure no one was looking around.

Most of the women in Shelby's apartment building were now aware of the new pool boy who was working there. Shelby was always spotting teenager girls and even a few woman of an age similar to hers looking at Noah when he was working, but he never paid attention to them. His old self would have flirted immediately but now he only had eyes for his two girls. One afternoon when no one was lurking around the pool Shelby and Beth surprised Noah while he was there. He stopped his job and walked over to them, smiling. "What brings you two lovely ladies here?" he asked.

"We have a little situation over in the house" explained Shelby, sounding slightly upset.

"You still don't know how to put that crib together, do you?" he teased laughing.

Shelby rolled her eyes and remained quiet. Puck knelt down and kissed Beth who was in her stroller. "I think somebody is angry, because I'm right." Shelby still didn't say anything.

"I guess I can come over and do that, I can't let my princess be without her new crib," he offered.

Shelby smiled. She loved how Beth was always his first priority above everything else. "Thank you" she said.

Noah gave Beth another kiss. "I'll see you two in a bit," he said before going back to work.

A couple of hours later Noah arrived at Shelby's house. He immediately went over to where Beth was playing, sat down next to her and put her on his lap. "I missed you so much," he whispered, giving her a kiss on her head.

"I really hate to interrupt your moment, but I need your help Noah," said Shelby standing in front of them.

Puck got up and analyzed the box which occupied about half of the living room. "This might sound silly, but do you have a pocket knife?" he asked.

Shelby gave him a stern look. "I live with a one year old, what do you think?" she asked placing her hands on her hips.

He laughed, "A kitchen knife works too."

Shelby nodded, grabbed a knife from one of the drawers and handed it to him. Noah ripped the protection tape apart and began to unpack the pieces of the crib. "This looks expensive," he commented as he looked through the instruction manual.

"Only the best for her," Shelby replied joining him. They worked together occasionally talking about school, Glee club and of course Beth. The time they had spent without talking to each other had helped; they finally felt comfortable around the other again.

"Pak!" said Beth interrupting their work. Shelby turned to face her and smirked. "What is it Bee? You miss him, you wanna play with him?"

Noah picked up Beth from the playpen. "Sorry for making you feel left out monkey face," he said kissing her.

Beth giggled and started to play with his nose. "You wanna steal my nose?" he asked chuckling, he pretended to bite her nose. "Now we're even and look!"

He made a fake nose with his hand. "Oh! Who's got your nose?"

Shelby overheard their little game and smiled. She was glad that Beth and Noah got along so well. Puck turned to face her. "Sorry I should be helping more," he said shyly.

"It's okay" she replied smiling and enjoyed the image in front of her. "She likes you, you're good with her."

Puck smelled Beth's hair and enjoyed her lovely baby scent. "It's because she's the best little girl in the whole word," he said with a goofy voice.

Shelby got up and walked to them. "Can I have her?"

He nodded and passed the baby to her. "Sure, go see momma." They walked over to the couch and sat down in silence, watching how Beth played with her toys, until Noah spoke:

"I need to come clean about something," he started with his eyes still glued to his daughter. "When Quinn and I babysit, she put a bunch of stuff here and tried to make you look like an unfit mother," he paused and took a deep breath, "and she said she was going to call Child Protective Service."

Shelby's eyed widened and she gave him a preoccupied look. "Don't worry, I got rid of everything right away, and I even went to the Child Protective offices here in Lima and warned them about a possible call from Quinn Fabray. I explained that I'm Beth's biological father and told them everything she was planning."

"Why would she do something like that?" asked Shelby now more calmed, once she knew that Beth wouldn't be taken away from her.

"Because she wants to get Beth back," he stated simply.

"That explains why she was suddenly so interested in joining the Troubletones," she pointed out.

Puck lowered his head and looked at the floor. "You are Beth's mother, she's happy with you, you are her family," he lifted his head and looked straight into Shelby's eyes. "And I'd love to be a part of that too."

Shelby timidly reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. "You are part of this family," she assured him.

Noah and Shelby finished working on the crib just in time to put Beth to sleep. As a thank you she invited him to stay for dinner. And as they used to, they sat down in front of the television to eat.

"You never told me you could play the piano," commented Shelby still impressed by his talent.

"You never asked" he replied smirking. "I have an idea, since we don't know that much about each other, let's play a Q&A game?" he proposed excited.

Shelby crocked an eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look. "Fine but we need to establish some rules, if the question is too personal; we are allowed to avoid it."

He nodded. "The questions cannot be repeated."

"Fine," answered Shelby. "And, it's not valid to answer with another question," she added.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Anything else?"

She took a sip of her water. "I think we're good, do you want to start?"

Puck shook his head. "Ladies first."

Shelby bit her bottom lip trying to come up with a question; she decided to start with easy things. "Favorite food?" she began.

"Waffles," he replied with a chuckle. "Favorite season of the year?"

Shelby stayed quiet for a second. "Autumn, because is not as cold as winter, but not as hot as the summer."

Puck picked up the plates and placed them in the dishwasher. "Got a question yet?" he asked sitting down on the carpet below the couch.

Shelby nodded. "Favorite sound?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Beth's laugh," he paused, trying to think of his own question. "A song you're supposed to hate but you actually like?"

Shelby grunted and hid her face on her hands. "Miley Cyrus' 7 Things."

Noah burst into laughter, which cause him to earn a smack on the shoulder. He was glad that Shelby accepted his suggestion; it was a way of getting to know her, since he couldn't take her out on a date. They kept playing like that until they ran out of easy topics like music, and food so they started to ask more personal things. Shelby was first: "First love"

He laughed at the memory as he rested his head against the couch. "Aw, how could I forget about Miss Sullivan, my first grade teacher," he confessed.

Shelby's jaw dropped. "Your first love was a teacher?" she asked surprised.

"I was 7 and I'm pretty sure she was near her thirties. She had dark brown hair, blue eyes and the most beautiful smile I had ever seen at the time. I gave her my heart the only way a seven year old knows: I gave her my gummy bears, a flower, and asked her to marry me."

Shelby smiled. "That's the cutest thing I've ever heard. What happened?"

He shrugged. "She kissed me on the cheek and told me I was a sweet boy and that she loved me, but she was already married and showed me her wedding ring." He got up and sat next to her on the couch. "Now you know my first love and my first heartbreak,"

Shelby nodded, still smiling. "Your turn."

"Biggest fear." He muttered hoping she wouldn't avoid the question.

She fixed some of her hair and looked at him. "I guess the answer is being alone. I have Beth now but she'll grow up and start her own life before I can even adjust to the idea. Eventually she's going to leave and that scares me."

Puck nodded and watched how she looked away. They stayed quiet and suddenly Shelby move closer to him until their shoulders were touching. She lowered her gaze. "Noah, what is this?" she whispered with a hint of fear in her voice.

He stared at her, knowing what she meant. He sighed deeply and grabbed one of her hands. "Well, I like you, I don't know if you feel the exact same way, but you don't need to feel pressured about that. I don't know what to call _this,_ but I do know that I'm enjoying it."

She nodded shyly. "Good, now Shelby hit me with a question," he said trying to lighten the mood.

Shelby used her free hand to play with his hair. "Are you ever going to get rid of the Mohawk?"

He laughed; "If that makes you happy, then yes," he answered smiling.

* * *

><p>Quinn was still determined to get her daughter back. At first she thought it would be more difficult without Puck's help, but in the end he was helping her more by being against her plan than by being by her side. Quinn never felt so thankful about Mr. Schue having one of his random singing moments; it was thanks to that she managed to see the sparkles between Puck and Shelby.<p>

Unfortunately for her she didn't have any solid proof of a possible relationship between them, that's why she needed to be closer to Shelby, and the only way of doing that was joining The Troubletones.

Shelby at one moment did consider letting her join the group; she thought it would be a good way to help her with her personal issues, but when Noah told her about her intensions, she changed her mind.

It was almost the end of the school week and Noah and Shelby were putting Beth down to sleep when they heard a knock on the door. "I want to say 'I'll go and get that', but I don't know who the hell that might be and I don't want to cause any trouble," joked Noah.

Shelby rolled her eyes. "Finish here while I go and get the door," she whispered.

When Shelby saw Quinn through the peephole, she immediately went back to Beth's bedroom. "It's Quinn stay here Noah" she ordered, closing the door.

"Hi Shelby," said Quinn with a casual tone. "I was in the neighborhood and I wanted to give this to Beth," she explained leaving a box at the entrance.

Shelby checked Beth's door one more time, making sure that it was properly closed. "I just put her down to sleep."

"That's fine, I also came here because you didn't give me an answer about joining The Troubletones," said Quinn keeping the same tone in her voice.

"I don't think that's going to happen," replied Shelby trying to keep herself together, she still couldn't believe what Quinn was trying to do.

"Oh, Mr. Schue won't miss me," Quinn assured her, smiling.

Shelby sighed bitterly. "I reached out to you Quinn. I came back here so you could have a relationship with Beth."

An angry expression filled Quinn's face. "She's my baby," she whispered starting to get upset.

Noah listened to the whole argument from Beth's baby monitor. He just wanted to storm out and stop Quinn, he couldn't believe the things she was saying, they were so hurtful and filled him with anger.

"At least I did what was best for my baby you were just a cash whore!" snapped Quinn with her eyes fixed on Shelby.

Puck sighed, disappointed. "Shelby…" he whispered, concerned. Puck couldn't listen anymore he turned off the monitor.

A few minutes later the bedroom door was opened, but Shelby didn't enter. Noah found her sitting on the couch, arms crossed looking sad, like she was holding back some tears. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her. "Hey please look at me," he cooed, but she didn't.

"I know the subject about Rachel's adoption still bothers you, but what you did was help to start a family. If you hadn't done that I would never have ripped those Range Rover tires, and Beth wouldn't have you as her mother," he wiped away an escaping tear. "You have no idea how many people you have helped with your decision."

Shelby finally faced him and smiled. "You are so sweet," she mumbled.

He chuckled and fixed some hair behind her ears. "Please let's keep that a secret, I have a reputation to maintain," he teased.

Shelby scoffed and smacked him slightly on his shoulder. "You ruined the moment," she whined.

"Sorry," said Puck grabbing her hands. They were cold and he assumed that was because she was nervous. Noah gave her a comforting look and smiled. To his surprise she leaned forward and gave him a short kiss on the lips.

"Noah I still don't…" but he stopped her from speaking with a second kiss.

"I know, there's no rush okay? We'll take it one step at a time," he assured her before hugging her.

* * *

><p>Puck thought the following day would be just another Friday at McKinley, but he was wrong. As soon as he entered the building he noticed how everybody was whispering about something. For a second he felt nervous. He kept walking and pulled the first guy he saw by his jacket to ask him what was going on, but what he heard was something completely different of what he was expecting.<p>

"Shit!" he muttered before letting the guy go.

He and the rest of the members of New Directions watched how Santana and the rest of The Troubletones killed their mash up, but he could see the fear on his friend's face, and it made him feel extremely angry. He needed to find out who did something so horrible to her. When the performance was over Santana walked to the audience's seats and started to yell at Finn; she didn't even let him explain himself, after all there was nothing to say: he had outed her. A slap on the face it was nothing compared to what he did.

Noah clenched his hands into fists; he couldn't believe what he had witnessed. He grunted feeling frustrated as he watched how Santana left the room wiping some tears off her face. At that moment, all he wanted to do was punch Finn Hudson.

* * *

><p>That's all for now I hope you had enjoyed it, next chapter happens during "I Kissed a Girl" as you all know, and there's a huge chance I'll be changing a lot of things we saw, because that's other episode I really disliked.<p>

Leave reviews, is not Monday but you can add something positive to the rest of my week with just a comment!

Take care, and until next Monday for sure!


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Again thanks for all the feedback last week, I don't think I deserve that much. I leave here for you my Shuck version of "I Kissed a Girl" hope you find it worth reading.

The song I used for this chapter is called "Poprocks and Coke" and it's by Green Day, here's the link if anyone wants to check it out: .com/watch?v=-vG-kOoapPo

Seriously, **BaddassMotherShucker94** if it wasn't for your awesome help I would have abandoned this fic long time ago, you are the best!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XV<strong>

As soon as Santana and The Troubletones left the auditorium an awkward silence filled the room, with everyone trying to process what had just happened. Kurt cleared his throat as he made his way to where Finn was sitting. He remained quiet for a second, like he was trying to find the best way to approach his brother, but his eyes revealed a mixture of disappointment and anger.

"I can't believe what you've done Finn, you don't have any idea of how much trouble you just caused, do you?" asked Kurt.

Finn didn't answer; he just kept rubbing his aching cheek. "She started it; she's been calling me names all week."

Kurt raised his eyebrows shocked by the answer. "How old are you five? Besides, were any of those things true?"

Finn shook his head. "Exactly, but what you said about her is true, and you did something only Santana had the right to do whenever she felt ready." stated Kurt in a calm tone. "

"I didn't mean it… It was…" mumbled Finn, but Puck cut him off.

"Of course you meant it, you just wanted to make her feel miserable. Well newsflash, you did." Puck walked over to where his friend was.

"I'm not going to take sides here, because the only thing you two have been doing lately is treating the other like shit." He rolled his eyes at Mr. Schue's warning because of the language he was using. "But I'm pissed Finn. Santana is a bitch, we all know that's just who she is, and we've all learned to accept it, but what pisses me off the most is that I never thought you would do something like that," he paused, "I mean Rachel has two dads… and Kurt… I thought you learned something after what happened to him last year."

Rachel, who had been silent during the entire argument, got up and looked at her boyfriend. "Rachel… I didn't mean for this to happen." Finn tried to explain, but she just shook her head.

"It doesn't matter, it's done, and now you have to try and fix it." She retrieved her hand when Finn tried to grab it. "I'm gonna go," she said leaving the auditorium with most of the other Glee Clubbers.

Puck looked for Santana all over McKinley but had no luck. He was worried about her; he had known the Lopez family ever since he was little; he and Santana had grown up together. They were nice, but he could understand why Santana was so worried, they were a Catholic family so she probably didn't know how they would react to the news. The worst-case scenario: they would kick her out of the house.

Brittany saw him entering the hallways and gestured for him to follow her to the Troubletones choir room. Mercedes and Sugar were outside waiting for Santana and Shelby. When she first noticed Puck walking alongside Brittany, Mercedes immediately started to complain: "Oh no, he's not going in there, he was probably the one who gave Finn the idea of saying that about Santana."

"Puck is like Santana's teddy bear, she always talks to him when she's sad." explained Brittany simply.

Noah smiled and nodded to the door. "Should I enter?" he asked unsure.

Brittany opened the door for him. "Thanks Britt," he said as he walked into the classroom. He found Shelby sitting on her desk waiting for Santana to say something, but the girl was hugging her legs with her face buried in her knees. Puck winced at the image of his friend being so vulnerable. He sat down next to her and didn't say a word for couple of minutes.

"She hasn't kicked you out yet, that's some progress. I don't even know why she's fine with me being here." commented Shelby.

"It's because you're a teacher, and you can actually stop Mr. Schue if he wants to come and give me one of his useless motivational speeches," muttered Santana with her eyes fixed on the floor.

Noah chuckled. "It's okay San we can talk here; Miss C won't say anything, right?"

Shelby nodded. "It's like I'm not even here," she assured Santana, smiling.

"What am I going to do? What I'm I going to say to my parents?" asked Santana looking at Puck for the first time since he had entered.

Puck swallowed hard thinking of how to answer. Suddenly he smiled because he knew it was something simple he could use from his own life to relate to his friend. "Just tell them how Britt makes you feel; how she makes you feel different, how she makes you see things about yourself you didn't even know they existed." he stated, looking at Shelby briefly.

"Once you say that to them, I don't see how the couldn't be okay with your relationship, because they love you and they want you to be happy and Britt is the one who can make that possible."

Santana wrapped her arms around Puck's neck and he just let her cry on his shoulders. He kept drawing circles on her back to help soothe her until he just heard a couple of sniffles. "I just realized something." said Santana pulling herself away for a bit.

"What?" asked Puck, confused.

She started to laugh slightly. "My grandma is going to be mad because I won't end up marrying you."

"What? Is she trying to make that happen? Could you imagine our kids? They would be incredibly hot for sure, but annoying as hell," he teased. "But, I have no problem with being Uncle Noah; you know when you and Britt have kids and stuff."

Santana hugged him tightly and give him a kiss on a cheek. "Thanks."

Puck shrugged and gave her a warm smile. "That's why I'm here," he joked before getting up and taking off his jacket and putting it on Santana shoulders. "You're still a little shook up, c'mon let's go outside. Britt is worried." he said walking her to the door.

The following Monday Shelby and Santana arrived at the Troubletones rehearsal with some news:

"The members of New Directions have an idea for their week's assignment and they would like you to join them," said Shelby before pausing. "You are free to reject the offer if you want, I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to do, especially if that means losing time we could use for practicing for sectionals."

"After the Mash-Ups disaster I'm not sure if we should accept it," admitted Mercedes.

Santana shook her head firmly. "I think we should, we can 'agree' to participate but let them do everything, while we practice. After all Finn said it was going to be a way to apologize to me."

"Let's just vote alright?" ordered Shelby. "The ones in favor of joining New Directions this week raise your hands."

It was unanimous. "Okay ladies, but remember just because the other Glee Club is not going to practice for sectionals it doesn't mean we are going to do the same. Rehearsals start tomorrow one hour earlier, no exceptions."

Meanwhile in the other choir room everybody was confused about the new assignment.

"Wait, Mr. Schue are you trying to say that we all have to waste a week that we could use to get ready for next week's competition just because Finn made a mistake?" asked Quinn frustrated.

Will sighed. "Shelby and the girls already agreed to join us, you don't have to participate if you don't want, we just want to show our support to Santana."

Kurt scoffed. "Excuse me? We all have been really supportive, we never judged her relationship with Brittany" he paused and looked at Finn "Couldn't just go over say you are sorry and save us the time?"

"Enough." yelled Will. "The decision has been made, this weeks songs are dedicated to her, whether you like or not."

At first Puck thought Quinn and Kurt were right, because singing to Santana wasn't going to fix anything, but then he came up with an idea: he could use this opportunity to sing to Shelby, he just needed to pretend he was going to do it for his friend.

When Shelby saw Noah starting to play the guitar she immediately began to feel nervous. She knew he had already helped Santana, and she couldn't believe he had agreed to participate is such a useless project. Upon hearing the first few lines of the song, she understood what was going on; Noah was singing to her.

Shelby frowned, even though she actually wanted to smile, but it was a really difficult position for her to be in. This wasn't like when they teased each other during the Mash-Ups, this time all the kids and Will were 100% focused on what Noah was doing and actually a few of them were exchanging confused looks; after all he hadn't locked eyes with Santana once, he just kept looking directly at her. Shelby half expected him to climb up to where she seated and kiss her in front of everybody, but thankfully he never did.

When Puck finished Santana got up and hugged him. She didn't look mad even after he said she was going through a phase, because she could see why he had sang that particular song. Santana just couldn't believe his friend took that risk.

"Did you like it?" he asked.

"I loved it, it was quite a show," she whispered in his ear simply, with a smirk on her face.

* * *

><p>Now that Mr. Clippenge was back in school, Shelby had stopped subbing for him in geometry. She was relieved because now she could spend most of the mornings with Beth, and she had missed that. Shelby was making some lunch while Beth was playing in the living room. The toddler had just started to walk and she still had some trouble balancing herself.<p>

The sound of a thud followed by cry stopped Shelby from what she was doing. Beth was lying on the floor crying, and she had blood on her face. Shelby knelt next to her and lifted her daughter up. "I'm so sorry for not keeping an eye on you," she said, her voice cracking as he tried to clean Beth's face.

The baby had a deep cut on her bottom lip. Shelby knew Beth would need stiches so the wound could heal properly, so she grabbed her purse and left the apartment with a more calmed Beth. "We're going to hospital Bee, don't worry baby." she told the one year old.

Shelby tried to stay as calm as she could but this was the first time she was in this type of situation with Beth without any of her family members nearby. Of course she knew she had Rachel, but Shelby wasn't going to pull her daughter out of classes just because Beth bit her lip.

In the emergency room the pediatrician on call took a look at Beth who seemed surprisingly comfortable. "She's looks fine, she'll just need a couple of stiches, but since you didn't see how hard she hit her head, I'd like to do a scan just in case, I'll take her inside for a moment." He noticed how Shelby looked extremely preoccupied.

"It's okay ma'am this happens all the time, it's impossible to keep an eye on the kids every second of every day," he assured her. "Why don't you call Beth's father while we examinee her?" he suggested.

"Oh she doesn't…" Shelby started, but she stopped herself. "Sure I'll call him right away, daddy will be here a few Bee" she said kissing her head.

When Noah received Shelby's call he immediately flew out of the classroom and drove as fast as he could to the hospital. He didn't even let Shelby explain the details of the accident, as soon he heard the words "Beth" and "hospital" in the same sentence he hung up the phone and stormed out the classroom.

He arrived at the emergency room and found Shelby sitting down playing with her hands looking really scared. He approached her and she got up and hugged him. "I'm sorry to bother you, I just didn't have any one else," she admitted.

Puck nodded and rubbed her back. "It's okay I'm glad you did, what happened?" he asked sitting down with her.

Shelby tried to remember what had happened earlier that day. "She fell down and she cut her lip, I just turned away for a second and…" she buried her face in her hands.

Noah wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "It's okay; it could happen to anyone, do the doctors have her?"

She nodded. "Yes they're checking that she didn't hit her head too hard, they won't even let me go and see her."

He gave her a kiss on the temple. "Beth is strong like you, she'll be fine."

Shelby nodded slightly relieved, his presence there made her feel more secure. She rested her head on his shoulders. "It's okay I'm here now," he assured her.

A couple of minutes later, the doctor appeared back in the waiting room with a huge smile on his face. "Well, mommy, daddy I'm happy to inform you that everything looks good. I gave Beth a couple of stiches on her bottom lip, but I can assure you it will heal really fast, and she won't even have a scar."

They nodded, both feeling relieved. Puck felt this weird, warm feeling inside him; it was the first time somebody had addressed him as Beth's daddy, and it was nice to hear it. He rested his hands on Shelby's shoulders. "The only thing she'll need is to eat soft food for a couple of days, her lips are going to be a little sensitive." explained the doctor.

"Can we go and see her now?" asked Shelby.

"Sure, follow me," smiled the doctor, gesturing for them to go with him. They found Beth in one of the little ER cubicles playing with a nurse. Shelby rushed to her daughter and lifted her up. "Thank god you're okay," she said nuzzling her face against Beth's hair.

Puck remained at the entrance looking at the picture. "You can breathe now," teased the doctor. "She's fine." He patted Noah on the shoulder and left the room.

Shelby turned to face him and gave him a shy smile. "Are you okay?" she asked because he looked stressed out. He nodded. "Yeah I'm just having a moment to freak out since I had to keep myself together before."

She walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You were wonderful out there, thank you."

"I did my best, now can we just take her home? I really hate hospitals," he said shrugging.

Back at Shelby's apartment Noah cleaned the kitchen while Shelby put Beth down to sleep. She sat down on the kitchen counter watching him slightly amused. He turned around to face her and grinned. "What?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head. "Nothing" she answered timidly. He poured a glass of water for her. "How is she?" he continued.

"She's great actually; she doesn't look in pain at all." She took a few sips of the water and sighed deeply.

Puck sat down next to her and rubbed circles on her back. "And how are you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm okay I guess, still a little nervous but nothing I can't handle," she paused, "Noah if it wasn't for you I would have freaked out a lot more at the hospital." she confessed.

"I like making you feel safe, and like I said I will always be here for you and Beth, you two mean the world to me. If anything ever happened to her or to you, I would go crazy."

Shelby started to laugh. "You need to stop doing that," she ordered.

Noah's eyes widened. "Doing what?" he asked sounding offended.

She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. "Saying things that make me want to kiss you," she mumbled.

Puck chuckled, and lifted up her chin so she would meet his gaze. "You do the exact same thing to me every single day, it's getting really hard to ignore actually."

They remained quiet just looking into each other's eyes for a moment. Realizing they couldn't take it anymore, they just leaned forward and kissed, forgetting about all the reasons why they shouldn't be doing that. Puck wrapped his arms around Shelby's waist pulling her closer to his body as he gently nibbled her bottom lip.

Shelby broke the kiss, but kept her hands resting on his neck. Noah gave her a kiss on the nose, as he broke the embrace. He got up and flashed a smile, "I should go. Call me if you need anything" he said, starting to leave.

But Shelby stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "Stay." she whispered.

Puck nodded and intertwined their fingers, while with his free hand he gently rubbed her cheek, making his way to the back of her neck. He pulled her face closer to his and started to kiss her again. Noah loved the feeling that invaded his body every time he touched Shelby. He might only be touching her hands would still feel this shock of electricity running through every single inch of his system.

The only difference this time was that the sensation was more intense, it was like his body was on fire. Puck used his hands to explore her body as they started to make their way to the bedroom. Each kiss gave Shelby more of the security she needed to not be afraid of Noah's feelings anymore. She stopped for a second while they were in the hallway, just to make sure Beth's bedroom door was closed, and that they had her monitor just in case she woke up.

Noah remained resting against one of the walls looking at her while grinning madly. Shelby bit her bottom lip and began to pull him from the neck of his jacket; she gave him a kiss and kept her forehead resting against his. Noah sighed deeply and led her to the bedroom, placing kisses on the back of her neck.

Inside Puck and Shelby locked eyes and everything felt right; in that moment any doubts left them both. Noah removed his jacket and his shirt, and then he began to remove Shelby's clothes, enjoying the sensation of her bare skin against his fingertips. He stared in awe for a second at the image of Shelby's beautiful body.

Noah kissed her on the lips for a brief moment, before starting to trace kisses on her neck, which cause her to moan in response. "You are so gorgeous," he whispered sincerely.

At first Shelby thought Noah would behave just like any other horny teenager. She imagined he was going to ripped her clothes off and drag her straight to the bed. But he didn't, he was being extremely gentle and was making sure that she didn't feel like she was doing something wrong. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Noah's lips on her collarbone and her shoulders while with his hands he caressed her stomach. To her surprise she was the one who started to feel like a horny teenager; she couldn't take it anymore. Shelby kissed him hungrily on the lips and used her hands to explore his chest occasionally playing with his nipple ring, which caused him to groan and her to bit her bottom lip. Shelby pulled Noah by his jeans so they could finally reach the bed.

Once her body had made contact with sheets Puck stopped kissing her, and buried his face in the base of her neck, inhaling every single detail of her scent. He grabbed her hands and intertwined their fingers. Noah looked at her straight into the eyes before speaking:

"Shelby, no regrets after this." He stated, almost pleading. He already knew he wouldn't be able to go through with this if he thought, even for a second, that Shelby would regret it in the morning.

She nodded and kissed him in response. "No regrets." she repeated.

* * *

><p>One-night stands were situations Puck was familiar with; he had never had any type of interest in staying with a girl after he had finished his business. He hadn't even stayed with Quinn after they slept together, not that he hadn't had the chance; she just grabbed her clothes and stormed out. But Shelby was the exception to this rule. He stayed with her all night, he didn't even sleep that much, he just spent the most of the night looking at the image of Shelby curled up against his chest. According to the alarm clock on the nightstand it was almost 2am when he finally wrapped his arms around Shelby's waist and closed his eyes.<p>

It was almost seven o'clock when Shelby opened her eyes. She was surprised that Beth hadn't woken up yet. She was about to get up, when she noticed Puck's arm holding her tightly. She rubbed her fingers against his knuckles, before turning around.

Shelby analyzed the image of Noah sleeping soundly right next to her wearing a lopsided grin and she couldn't help but notice that he seemed younger somehow. She sighed as she started to run her fingers over his exposed arm and played with the Jewish star he was wearing on a simple chain around his neck. _"What have I done?"_ she thought starting to panic.

She got up, grabbed the first piece of clothing she found on the floor and went to the bathroom. Puck got up a few moments after she had left the bed. "Shel?" he asked looking around. He shrugged and put his boxers and his white t-shirt on. He smirked when he saw Shelby coming from the bathroom wearing her bathrobe.

"Morning beautiful." he said smiling.

She sat down in front of him and gave him a shy smile. "Did you sleep well?" asked Noah.

"I did," she paused and rubbed her hand against his right cheek, "Noah." she said sounding serious.

He immediately grabbed her hands and kissed them. "Hey, don't freak out, please don't." he pleaded.

She shook her head firmly. "Last night… was amazing… but we shouldn't have done that." She stated. "We, actually no, I could get in serious trouble."

"Why? You're not subbing anymore, you're just coaching The Troubletones," he pointed out, trying to keep himself together.

"Even so I still work at your school which makes this a mistake," she paused. "You need to go before Beth wakes up."

Puck rested his head against the head of the bed and grunted. "Mistake… Shelby why are you so afraid of having feelings for me?" he asked wrapping his arms around her waist.

Shelby released herself from his grip. "Noah I don't know how I feel okay? It's hard for me to understand this, and it scares me," she confessed avoiding his eyes.

"Well it scares me too but that doesn't mean we should toss everything aside and forget about what happened." replied Noah.

She didn't answer; instead she just got up and stood next to the door. "Please, give me some time."

Puck got dressed and walked to the bedroom door. "I get your point okay? You have a lot to lose if you decide to be with me right now, but I stayed last night because you told me to," he paused and crossed his arms. "And you can say whatever you want, but the truth is that you are not the type of woman who sleeps with a guy just because she was a wreck at one moment. You slept with me because you know you feel something too, stop denying it."

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><p>He didn't show up at school that day; he wasn't in the mood for that. He stayed at his house sleeping until the beginning of the afternoon. He was confused, he tried to be supportive with Shelby but it was becoming something very difficult for him to do. He was going back and forth and he was getting hurt. He buried his face in his pillows when he remembered something. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number.<p>

"Q' it's me I was wondering if your offer is still on?" He asked.

Quinn smirked. "I was hoping you'd reconsider it, see you in a bit."

Puck thought that being with Quinn would help him to feel better, but it didn't. It only made him want to be with Shelby even more. He felt guilty, like he was cheating on Shelby, and he needed to stop before he might do something even worse that kissing Quinn.

"I can't do this," he said moving away from the bed.

Quinn laughed and nodded, she knew what, actually who had made him stop. "It's because I'm not her isn't it?" she snapped. "I know Puck; it's obvious you and Shelby are together."

He shook his head and sat next to her. "It's not what you're thinking, I'm not just messing around with her." he paused. "I'm in love with her."

Quinn's eyes widened. "Really Puck, her?" she asked. cringing a little.

He nodded and kept a serious look on his face. "Yep, but you have to promise not say this to anyone." he ordered.

"Fine," she lied glad that she finally had some information to use, before grabbing his hands again. "But you are gonna stay here with me and hold me," she said lying with him on the bed again.

Puck smiled and got comfortable resting his chin on her shoulder. "But no funny business okay?" he paused and sighed. "I'm sorry for letting you down when you needed me the most."

Quinn closed her eyes for a second. "We let each other down, I'm sorry too."

The next morning Puck arrived at his house. Hannah walked up to him with a concerned look in her eyes. "Where have you been?" she asked. "You could have call or something…"

"I'm sorry okay?" he replied bitterly as he went to his bedroom. He climbed on to his bed and closed his eyes, but just a second later the door was opened. "Shit Hannah leave me alone for a second please!" he yelled with his eyes still closed.

"I'm not Hannah kiddo," said his mother.

He sat down, rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Sorry ma."

"Is everything okay?" she asked him with a nervous look on her face.

"I'm not in any type of trouble if that is what you're worried about. Beth had a little accident and that's why I wasn't here." he explained.

Deborah nodded. "Next time call, I was scared for a moment," she said leaving, but Noah called her back.

"Can I ask you something?" he started a little nervous.

"Anything" she assured sitting down next to him.

Puck sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. "Have you ever loved someone but everything seemed to be against you?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Does she love you back?"

"It doesn't matter." he stated sounding defeated.

Deborah cupped his face with her hands. "Noah it's all that matters," she said before kissing him on the forehead. "Who is she?"

"I can't tell you," he said sadly.

"I won't be mad, I promise." she assured him, hoping to encourage him to talk.

Puck took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "It's Shelby." he muttered.

Deborah nodded slowly with a confused look in her eyes. "Oh, I can see the problem you two have now." She said, sounding uncomfortable.

"Mom please!" yelled Noah with his face buried in his hands. "She's scared that she might have strong feelings for me," he explained.

"You have to understand her point of view, if the wrong person finds out and tells everybody or anybody for that matter, everyone will be against her." Deborah explained. Noah tried to speak up to protest but she stopped him raising her hand. "It won't matter who started this, right now in the eyes of everybody you are the student, she's the teacher, and even if you are 18, you'll look like the victim."

She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying maybe it's not the right time." She got up and began to make her way to the door.

"Wait! So you're not mad? You know because I'm in love with her?" he asked surprised.

Deborah smiled with joy. "This is the first time since you were a kid, that you've said you are in love," she paused. "If she makes you happy then why should I be mad?"

Noah dropped his body on to his bed. "Kiddo, I know you're exhausted, but I think you should go over to the Lopez's house, Santana had a rough day yesterday. I ran into her mom in the supermarket a while ago, she didn't give me the details but she could use a friend now."

An hour later he was outside Santana's bedroom with a box of Breadstix's breakfast special. He knocked on the door and she opened wearing pajamas and looking tired. She smiled because he looked as bad as she did. Puck lifted the bag up. "Care to join me for breakfast?" he asked.

She rubbed her eyes and gestured for him to enter. They sat down on the floor and ate. Puck shoved a biscuit into his mouth. He realized he was starving; he hadn't eaten properly in a few days. Santana took a sip of orange juice and gave him a sad smile.

"She hates me," she suddenly said.

Puck swallowed and raised an eyebrow. "Your grandma?"

She nodded and held back a few tears. "She said I'm a disgrace."

"Give her some time, she loves you, it's just a lot for her to handle, she's going to see you are still the same girl eventually," he said before handing her a muffin. "Now have some, I'm starting to feel guilty for eating all this."

They ate the rest of the food in silence until Puck spoke up: "I slept with Shelby."

Santana spat her juice out and started to cough. "Oh my god finally! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to tell me that?"

"It happened a few days ago Santana," he commented unsure of what she meant.

"Not that! That you love her," she teased smacking him on the shoulder.

"You knew?" he asked shocked.

She scoffed and ate the last piece of pancake. "Of course, you're all goofy every time you see her, and she gets all embarrassed, you two are so cute!"

"You don't think it's weird?" he asked, a bit afraid of what her response might be.

Santana shook her head. "Please, I'm gay I'd be so hypocritical if I judged your relationship," she paused. "I have to say congrats though, Miss. C is really hot."

He smiled and told her the entire story, right from the beginning, explaining all the troubles they had been facing lately, telling her how scared he was most of the time, but how he really wanted to be with her.

* * *

><p>The next Monday was the last day of the assignment dedicated to Santana. She sang "Constant Craving" and Shelby looked at Puck each time she found the opportunity, but he never looked back at her. He seemed anxious, she knew they hadn't fought, but it was obvious they had reached a point where they needed to decide what step they were going to take in their "relationship."<p>

As soon as the group stopped clapping Noah raised his hand. "Yes Puck?" asked Mr. Schue.

"Can I sing one more time to Santana?" he asked.

"I don't see why not, come on down," answered Will, obviously excited.

He stood up in the center of the choir room with his guitar and looked at his friend. "Sorry for what I said last week, it was really stupid. I found a song that fits you more, it wasn't written by a girl but it was meant to be sung to a friend."

Puck smiled and began to play the guitar:

_Wherever you go_

_You know I'll be there_

_If you go far,_

_You know I'll be there_

_I'll go anywhere,_

_So I'll see you there_

_You place the name_

_You know I'll be there_

_You name the time_

_You know I'll be there_

_I'll go anywhere_

_So I'll see you there_

_I don't care if you don't mind_

_I'll be there not far behind_

_I will dare_

_Keep in mind_

_I'll be there for you_

Santana shook her head and for the first time during the whole assignment she smiled honestly. It was a simple song but for her it was the definition of their friendship.

_Where there's truth_

_You know I'll be there_

_Amongst the lies_

_You know I'll be there_

_I'll go anywhere_

_So I'll see you there_

_I don't care if you don't mind_

_I'll be there not far behind_

_I will dare_

_Keep in mind_

_I'll be there for you_

Santana got up, crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She tried to pretend she was annoyed but she knew she wasn't fooling anybody; she waited for the song to come to an end.

_If you should fall_

_You know I'll be there_

_To catch the call_

_You know I'll be there_

_I'll go anywhere_

_So I'll see you there_

_I don't care if you don't mind_

_I'll be there not far behind_

_I will dare_

_Keep in mind_

_I don't care_

_I'll be there for you_

_I'll be there for you_

When the song ended, she approached to him up and hugged him tightly. Puck responded by lifting her up a little bit. "We'll get through this Noah," she whispered into his ear.

He nodded; she only called him by his name when it was a serious moment. "I know San."

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><p>Thanks for reading guys! Hope you had enjoyed it; the review button is down there, so click it and leave me some comments please! You all know how everybody feels about Mondays, but a little review helps to get through the day.<p>

Until next week, and enjoy the new episode of Glee tomorrow!


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **Guys! What happened last week? You didn't like the chapter? I'm assuming it because a few of you didn't leave comments, and I missed them, but that's fair no worries. Here's chapter 16 and I hope you'll like it enough for leave a review this time.

There are a few references of the TV Show **SMASH** on this chapter the idea came to my mind after I read a post on tumblr, saying that Derek and Shelby would be an epic couple.

Oh! Next week's update might be a later than usual, you'll see my birthday is this Thursday so maybe I'll be busy during the weekend, but I'll try my best to gave you the next chapter on Monday, but if that doesn't happen don't panic.

The ending of this fic is going to be highly influenced by tomorrow's episode, but we'll get that when it's the moment.

You'd think I'd get bored or used to writing this every week, but no **BadassMotherShucker94 **is absolutely the best Beta Reader ever!

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><p><strong>Chapter XVI<strong>

Rachel was pacing around her bedroom still trying to process what Quinn had said to her hours earlier. She was aware that Quinn's had been quite unstable lately, which made her wonder whether she could be lying.

She sighed as she dropped herself on the bed. She looked at the celling, and then the walls filled with Broadway posters and an occasional photo of her with her friends or Finn. She reached out for her remote control and turned on her set of iPod speakers, and as the music began to play Rachel started to re-analyze her brief conversation with Quinn. The phrase, _"She's sleeping with Puck"_ kept appearing on the top of her mind.

Suddenly a lot of things started to make sense somehow: the way Noah had changed so unexpectedly, those songs he sang during Glee, everything led to the obvious; Noah Puckerman had feelings for her mom.

She cringed at the image she had pictured in her mind for a moment. Rachel sat down and tried to compose herself. "Just because Quinn said it, doesn't mean it's true" she said to herself, really hoping the blonde was lying. Rachel couldn't believe her mother would hide something like that from her. It hurt her to think that after all the work they had done to have a good relationship, her mom would just start to keep secrets from her.

Rachel reached out for her cellphone inside one of her hoodie pockets. She looked at her mother's number on the screen. She tried to call her, she almost did, but she managed to stop herself at the last second, because she knew that she would start a rant as soon as she heard her mother's voice on the other side of the line.

Instead she decided to contact to other person apparently involved in this mess. She needed to talk to Noah, but since she was suspended from school she was forced to wait until sectionals were over. She finally found a positive thing about not being able to go to classes, because Rachel Berry was aware that if she had to talk to Noah, she wouldn't be able to control herself.

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><p>A few days had passed since Puck and Shelby had their little argument in her house, and Puck hadn't called her. He didn't know what to say to her, and with sectionals so close, he started to see one of his biggest fears approaching; Puck didn't know what was going to happen if The Troubletones lose the competition.<p>

Of course he was hoping that New Directions and The Troubletones would tie, just like what had happened with The Warblers a year before, but nothing was certain.

The simple thought of Shelby and Beth leaving was too much for him to handle. He was already too attached to them, and saying goodbye for a second time just seemed like torture.

Despite the fact that the football season was about to end, according to coach Beiste a final group of recruiters were going to watch the final game of the season, meaning that she was putting extra pressure on the last training sessions. Puck found himself physically and mentally exhausted; he just wanted that damn week to end so he could go apologize to Shelby and just enjoy her company again.

Puck was hanging around by himself in the hallway. All the excitement of the competition made him feel sick. He sighed, but then the sound of a pair of heels clicking on the floor forced him to lift up his head. Puck smiled when he saw Santana walking towards him. She stood next to him and smirked.

"You look good" he said smiling.

Santana nodded unimpressed and analyzed his clothes. "You look like you're about to serve drinks at a wedding."

Puck chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm not a big fan of this clothes selection either".

She looked around making sure that no one was near them. "Have you talked to her yet?" she whispered.

"I haven't, I'm giving her the time she asked for" replied Puck with a serious tone.

Santana shrugged and started to fix his tie. "I think you two need to clear things up, especially after tonight since we don't know who's going to win."

Puck grinned. "No worries you have a Troubletones fan over here."

"Please you're just saying that because…" she paused to lower her voice. "The coach is your girlfriend."

Noah blushed and shut his eyes, embarrassed. He was about to protest, but Shelby and the rest of the girls appeared in the hallway. "Speak of the devil" teased Santana, smirking.

She patted softly him on his right cheek. "Don't worry, you're the cutest wedding waiter I've ever seen," she kissed him on the cheek "Gotta go," said Santana before joining her group.

They were about to enter when the choir room when Puck caught Santana's attention one last time. "I do believe you deserve to win for your talent, nothing else."

Santana mouthed him an "I know" before giving him a smile and a wink before disappearing behind the door.

Quinn had noticed how Puck had been looking particularly troubled all week, which could only mean one thing: He and Shelby had had a fight, and that also meant she finally had the opportunity to confront her. At first Quinn had expected Rachel to do that part for her, so that she would only need to go to Figgins' office and report the complaint, but the brunette reacted weirdly indifferent to the news.

While everyone was focusing on The Troubletones performance Quinn went backstage to talk to Shelby, but what she didn't know was that Puck was heading there as well.

Inside the dressing room Shelby was talking to Beth's babysitter; the toddler had a little cold and Shelby just wanted the competition to be over so she could finally be with her baby. That little conversation made Quinn hesitate for a second, the fact that Shelby Corcoran, the hardcore show choir coach, took a moment in the middle of a performance to ask for her daughter showed that she truly loved Beth. However that wasn't enough for Quinn Fabray.

Ever since she had kissed Noah, Shelby knew that eventually someone would at least jump to conclusions, no matter if Noah kept his mouth shut. After all, it was High School; people talked, and everyone at McKinley knew that she had adopted Quinn Fabray and Noah Puckerman's daughter. As well as that Shelby was very aware of his reputation with older women. Since the beginning it was something that had worried her.

That's why she decided to come up with a lie, just in case someone confronted her. She rehearsed every single word until she almost believed it herself. She didn't want to show any sign of doubt, and she nailed it:

"I'm ending it" she stated. "I thought that being with an 18 year old would made me feel young again but the truth is that it just made me feel much older," she continued looking and sounding as casual as she could. She wasn't going to give Quinn the satisfaction of seeing her break down.

Puck groaned inwardly; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. _"She's lying, she has to be lying,"_ he kept thinking as he made his way back to where his team was.

The rest of the competition occurred in fast motion for Noah. He sang because he had memorized the lyrics, he danced because he remembered the choreography. His mind was completely unfocused; he needed to talk to Shelby and clear things up once and for all.

When the host announced the winner of the competition, Noah didn't even listen to the result, but he understood what had happened once he noticed how his friends were screaming and hugging each other. He found his way back to reality and pretended to be as happy as the others were, because even though they had managed to win, it was still a bittersweet victory for New Directions, but especially for Noah.

There wasn't going to be a party at Breadstix that night, it didn't seem fair to do that without Santana, Brittany and Mercedes there. Each member of the Glee club got changed and went straight home. Puck was one of the last to leave; he was heading to his truck when Rachel stopped him in the parking lot. She took a minute to analyze his facial expressions trying to look a glimpse of sadness, but he just looked exhausted.

"You don't look too happy considering we just won sectionals" she started with a hint of accusation in her voice.

"No one really feels like that, it doesn't feel right to win without them, you know?" he replied trying to keep walking but Rachel stopped him again.

"That's fair enough but I think you might have other reason," she insisted.

Puck laughed slightly and shook his head. "Well you're wrong; now please let me go I'm really tired, I just want to sleep."

He was opening the door when Rachel spoke. "Oh, so you're going to see my mom again?"

Puck left the door open, and turned to face her with a shocked expression on his face. He swallowed hard and remained quiet.

"You're not denying it, so it must be true," she walked closer to him. "You have no limits do you Noah? You always have to be sleeping around with everybody… she's _my mother_"

"Rachel please give me a chance to explain," he said trying to calm her down, but she didn't even let him talk.

"Do you know how much trouble she could get into if Figgins or any parents find out? She could lose her teaching license, and where does that leave Beth?" she paced around moving her hands. "If my mom loses her job how would she be able to provide Beth with what she needs? I thought you loved your daughter Noah?"

That was it, Puck had taken enough. He could stand Rachel telling him he was being irresponsible, but she was accusing him of not loving Beth and that was something completely different. "Rachel stop!" he snapped. "You really think I'd want that for my baby? Beth means the world to me," he paused and sighed. "And so does Shelby."

"You think I'd be fooling around with the one person who can stop me from seeing Beth? You believe I'd risk my only chance of a relationship with my daughter?" he asked upset.

Rachel didn't answer. "Exactly" replied Puck.

"I was going to ask for your permission, because I knew this would be uncomfortable for you, but Shelby isn't sure about her feelings for me," he explained sadly.

Rachel's expression softened when she saw the sad look on Noah's face. "If I could, I would get rid of these feelings, because they seem to be causing a lot of trouble" he joked. He opened the door of his truck for the second time before turning round and looking at Rachel straight in her eyes. "Just because it's me, doesn't mean I don't love her."

Rachel nodded, feeling bad for the way she had treated him, and for the things she had said. "Did Quinn tell you?" he asked already inside his truck.

"Yes" she answered simply.

Puck sighed. "Sorry you had to find out that way, but please help me stop her from telling Figgins. You don't have to do it for me, do it for Shelby and Beth."

"I'll talk to Quinn," assured Rachel.

Puck gave her a smile for the first time since the conversation had started. "Thank you," he said simply, and with that he left the school, as did Rachel, who drove to Shelby's house instead of her own.

Meanwhile in one of the choir rooms Shelby was about to give a pep talk to her team. It had been so long since one of her show choirs had lost a competition that she had almost forgotten how to do it. She bit her bottom lip and looked at the disappointed faces in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she suddenly said.

The girls gave her a confused look. "For what?" asked Mercedes.

"For not being the coach you expected." She grabbed a chair and sat down closer to them. "I'm not the same Shelby Corcoran who led Vocal Adrenaline to four National championships," she admitted.

"But you gave us the opportunity to be in the spotlight and that means a lot to us," continued Mercedes.

"We didn't win because we weren't dancing like stripers unlike those guys." added Santana.

"You can still be my coach and help me to get ready for my American Idol audition," commented Sugar, which caused the whole group to laugh.

"I know you have your differences with the other group, but they're your friends, go back to them; most of you are seniors, you should be enjoying these last months together," stated Shelby.

Santana became serious. "They'll throw us back to the chorus."

"Then don't let them, you have proven how talented you are, all of you" replied Shelby with a serious tone.

"Come with us Miss C!" shrieked Sugar.

"We could actually use a coach who can do something else besides writing things on a board," admitted Santana with a smirk.

Shelby's face became serious again. "I actually have a job offer in New York. I didn't give them a straight answer because I thought we would be going to Regionals."

Santana immediately thought about Puck. "What's the job?" she asked hiding the worry about her friend.

"Helping with the production of a new musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, I haven't decided anything yet though," explained Shelby.

The room remained quiet with everyone processing that it could be the last time they'd all be in the same room together. "We're gonna miss you mamma Troubletone" said Brittany.

Shelby smiled sadly and got up. "I'll miss you too, you have been a great team, one of my best," she opened her arms gesturing a hug. "Now come here."

Each one of the girls said goodbye to Shelby, with Santana staying till last. Shelby crossed her arms. "You don't have to hug me if you don't want to."

The girl shook her had and hugged Shelby tightly. "Don't go he'll be crushed," she whispered in her ear as she quickly broke the embrace and left the room before Shelby could say anything.

* * *

><p>Shelby arrived back at her house a little later than she had expected. She dropped her purse on the kitchen counter and searched for a bottle of aspirins. She took a couple of pills before going into Beth's bedroom. Her eyes widened when she found Rachel taking care of the baby instead of the babysitter.<p>

"I send Joanne home, I hope that's okay" said Rachel looking at her mother.

Shelby placed her hand on Beth's forehead and sighed relieved. "She doesn't have a temperature anymore."

She looked at Rachel and gestured her to follow her to the living room. They sat down on the couch. "What brings you here tonight? I thought you'd be celebrating."

"It wasn't a pleasant victory," admitted Rachel before sighing deeply.

"Mom?" she started. "I talked to Quinn, and then with Noah. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Shelby looked at Rachel. She didn't seem angry, but she did look hurt. "Honey I'm so sorry…" but Rachel cut her off.

"I somehow understand Noah because he's a teenage boy and he has something for older women, but I didn't think you'd fall for that."

Shelby buried her face in her hands for a moment. "It's not like that, he's always helping me with Beth, and he's different when we're together."

"Well he can help you with the baby without having a relationship with you!" Rachel got up and sighed, feeling frustrated. "Besides what makes you think he really means what he says to you? He's just another boy."

"You think I don't know that Rachel?" snapped Shelby. "I'm worried about the looks people will give us if we become a couple, what would they say?" she bit her bottom lip. "But what scares me the most is that one day he'll wake up, look at me and realize he made the wrong decision."

She met her daughters gaze before speaking again. "Rachel I really need you to tell me that it's okay."

Rachel gave her a confused look. "That it's okay to what?"

Shelby lowered her gaze. "That it's okay for me to love him," she whimpered.

Rachel smiled, sat down next to her and hugged her tightly. "You love Noah?"

Shelby just nodded. Rachel calmed her mother down, rubbing circles on her back. "Sorry for acting so uncaring, but I was afraid you'd lie to me and continue to keep this secret from me." She chuckled a bit. "And, if it helps I think he loves you too."

"He does?" asked Shelby breaking the embrace.

The girl nodded. "He said to me, and I'm quoting here: 'Beth means the world to me. And so does Shelby.' If that's not love, I don't know what it is." She held her mother's hands. "I think he's just afraid that you might reject him."

Shelby sighed. "I'll guess I'll have to say it first then." she looked at Rachel one more time before speaking "Are you okay with this? I know Noah is not the type of boyfriend you'd expect me to have"

Rachel shrugged smiling "I'm not going to lie, it is a little weird, and it's going to take a while before I'm completely comfortable, but you two are good for each other, and that's all that matters" she adjusted herself on the couch and rested her head on Shelby's lap. "I really hate to bring this subject up right now, but are you going to accept Tom and Derek's offer and go to New York?"

Shelby played with Rachel's hair. "I'm not sure yet."

"Don't make any decision yet," she pleaded, sitting up. "Noah deserves to spend Hanukkah with you and Beth, and so do I."

"But Honey…" started Shelby trying to protest.

"Fine Chrismukkah," said Rachel giving up.

* * *

><p>Puck tried to feel happy because Santana and the other girls were back on the team, and he did a pretty decent job during their celebration number in the auditorium. When Santana finished hugging everybody she pulled Puck by his jacket and dragged him backstage.<p>

"You need to go now and talk to her," she ordered with determination. "She's going to leave, she has a job offer in New York."

"If she's planning to leave what can I do to stop her?" he complained.

Santana smacked him on the head. "Tell her how you feel, and don't be such a coward!" She paused and calmed herself. "If you don't tell her, you'll always be wondering about what could have happened."

An hour later Puck was parked outside Shelby's apartment building, unsure of what to do or say. He decided to just climb upstairs and follow his instincts. He fixed his hair and his clothes before knocking the door; he took deep breaths to compose himself. When he saw Shelby on the other side he immediately blurted everything:

"Rachel convinced Quinn and she didn't say anything to Figgins," he gasped for air. "Please don't leave me, I know you have a job offer, but if you and Beth leave me again I won't be able to handle it. This new me, it's because of you, Shelby. You are my motivation and if you leave I'll be lost."

Shelby shushed him and cupped his face in her hands. "Noah calm down, it's okay." She grabbed one of his hands and took him inside.

"I haven't decided anything yet," she told him closing the door.

Puck nodded still looking nervous. "Oh I see."

She looked at him for a moment thinking he looked absolutely adorable panicking. Shelby gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, but he just shook his head firmly and hugged her strongly. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk the other morning."

"It was my fault too, I've been giving you mixed signals all this time," she paused and looked at her watch. "Shouldn't you be at Glee club?"

He chuckled. "I skipped it today, I wasn't able to concentrate," he confessed. Puck broke the embrace and kissed Shelby on the lips before heading to Beth's room. She was taking her nap; Noah ran his fingers through her blonde locks before kissing her forehead.

A couple of minutes later they were resting together on Shelby's bed just enjoying the closeness and intimacy of the moment. Noah was hugging her protectively from the waist, occasionally kissing her shoulders and the back of her neck.

"You look tired," she commented, leaning her head against his chest.

"The football season is about to end and a few more recruiters are coming to see us play, so that means coach Bieste is kicking our butts," he paused. "Would you and Beth like to come and see me playing?" he asked, excited.

She turned around to face him. "I don't know that much about football I'd probably make a fool of myself," she mumbled playing with his hands.

"C'mon, you two could be my lucky charms," insisted Noah making his sad puppy eyes.

Shelby hated that he and Beth shared the same manipulative eyes. She bit her bottom lip, before answering. "Fine, but with one condition; you have to go with me to buy a Christmas tree."

Puck's face light up. "I'll happily go with you! I can even help you to decorate the house," he offered. "It's something I'm not used to do with my family since we're Jewish."

Shelby grabbed the star on his neck and played with it. "You could bring a Hanukkah Menorah if you want."

"Thanks," he said smiling.

They stayed in silence for a while, listening to Shelby's iPod on the speakers she had in her room. Noah waited for the current song to come to an end before speaking: "Shelb I know I said that I don't want you to leave me, but I can't be that selfish, if you really like the job offer in New York I think you should take it."

"I don't want to talk about that until the Holidays are over okay?" she demanded with a stern tone.

He nodded and pulled her closer to his chest and carefully rested his chin on the top of her head. "Shelby?"

"Yes Noah?" she asked with her eyes closed.

He hesitated for a second before continuing. "I love you," he stated simply hoping she wouldn't freak out.

Shelby looked up to him and smiled. "I love you too Noah" she replied before turning around and kissed him.

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><p>That's all for now, I really hope you had liked it please guys leave reviews I'll consider them as birthday gifts! Enjoy the next episode of Glee; let's hope Puck has a nice closure.<p>

Take care, until next week, remember if you don't see a new chapter on Monday, just be patient I'll eventually update on the following days!


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **It's good to be back guys! Sorry, sorry for the delay I'm going be honest I was partying last weekend so I didn't have the time to sit down and finish this in time, but here's it is Shuck Chrismukkah for all you.

Again there are more **SMASH** references here and I'm just going to say a friendship between Tom, Shelby and Julia it's like my ultimate crossover dream, it would be flawless.

Special shoutout to my dear reader **HOMGNIKOLET** I think I managed to add a little bit everything you'd like so far in this chapter I can't wait to read your opinions, also special shoutout to **SouthernHemmy** thank you so much for your last review and to **ShelbyraeGleebabe **hope this helps you finishing the week.

Last but not least thank you **BaddassMotherShucker94** for your help not just with this, but with all the previous chapters I can't thank you enough.

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><p><strong>Chapter XVII<strong>

The Christmas spirit had officially invaded Lima. All the surroundings, as well as most of the streets and stores were covered with tons of Christmas decorations, and now and then you could see families carrying a tree to their house.

For Shelby this was the first time she wouldn't be spending the Holidays with her family; her bother and sister-in-law were spending Christmas with Sarah's parents, and Shelby's mom and dad had decided to spend Christmas in some exotic location, so it was just her and Beth.

At first Shelby thought it would be hard to organize everything in her house for Beth, but she found out that she wasn't alone; she might not have her usual relatives with her, but over the last months she had come to realize that she did have a family in Ohio; she had Rachel, Jesse and of course Noah.

He and Rachel have been helping to decorate the apartment so Beth could feel the Chrismukkah spirit, the only thing missing was the tree, and according to Noah they were going to shop for it that afternoon.

Shelby was dressing Beth in her winter coat when Noah surprised them. She had given him a copy of the house keys a few days before. Noah was already part of the family and since they were sort off "dating" he didn't need to ask for permission to come over anymore.

He walked over to where Beth was sitting and lifted her up. "You look so adorable monkey face," he said kissing her head before he placed the baby over one of his shoulders.

Puck smiled and looked at Shelby who was slightly frowning. "Don't get jealous, you look beautiful too," he said before pressing a kiss to her left cheek. "Ready to go?"

She rolled her eyes and nodded. It was hard for her to stay mad at him, and she hated that.

Noah had found a little place away from Lima where they could buy the tree. He made the decision to go there because he knew Shelby hadn't officially resigned as a substitute teacher at McKinley yet, and he wanted to be affectionate with her in public without being worried about the judging eyes of the residents of Lima.

They helped Beth to walk around the pines for a little while; the little girl found the spikey texture of the branches incredibly amusing, she couldn't stop touching them, which caused Puck and Shelby to burst into laughter.

Once they had chosen a tree that could fit inside the house, they made their way back home. Interested, Beth watched how Noah unpacked the shiny ornaments and placed them on the table they had set up beside the tree. Making sure that Shelby wasn't looking at them, he pulled out some mistletoe tied up on a ribbon, before gently grabbing Beth's arm and placing the ribbon on it. Noah picked up the smiling girl and helped her to start decorating the tree. First, he gave her a stuffed animal: "Go ahead Bethie put it where you want?" he said softly.

Shelby sat down on the floor and watched how they worked in awe. "Are you gonna help us or what?" joked Noah without facing her, but she could tell he was smiling.

She grunted as she got up and grabbed some of the set of lights and started to wrap the tree with it. Puck locked eyes with her for a brief instant and realized he had found what he'd always wanted. That warm feeling only Shelby and Beth could give him, it was everything he always dreamed of, something simple, a family of his own.

"I think it's almost done," commented Shelby moving away from the tree so she could see it properly.

Puck nodded and put Beth over his shoulders one more time. "Help her to put the star on the top," he said gesturing towards the box which contained the star.

Shelby grabbed the star from the box and stood up on the little ladder they were using. She smiled as she guided Beth's little hands. "Good job sweetie," she said lifting her up "What's this?" she asked looking at the ribbon on the baby's arms.

"It looks like…" she stopped herself and looked down at Noah who was wearing his lopsided grin on his face.

Shelby bit her bottom lip and climbed down. Puck approached them and kissed Beth on the forehead. "One for you princess," he whispered before moving his face closer to Shelby's and kissed her on the lips. "And one for mommy," he added smiling.

* * *

><p>A few days later Shelby was driving to McKinley with Rachel and Beth; they were going to see the Titans last game of the season. Rachel had offered to go with Shelby so she wouldn't feel awkward once she had arrived. On the way to the game, she also explained that they were going to sit with the HudsonHummel family and with Noah's mom and sister.

As soon as she had mentioned that, Rachel noticed how her mother's body language had changed; she had tensed up and she was now holding the steering wheel really tight. "Why are you so nervous?" she asked.

Shelby looked at her briefly from the corner of her eye. "I'm not."

Rachel just shook her head and scoffed. "Right," she paused. "Noah's mom is really nice, she'll like you I'm sure," comforted Rachel, knowing exactly why her mom had tensed up.

Shelby waited until they were stopped at a red light before speaking: "You think she knows about me and Noah?"

"He never says this out loud, but he's really close to his mother, so I do think she's aware; then again if she's not, she probably suspects something, she's a mom."

Shelby remained quiet, thinking about what Noah's mom might think of her. He didn't mention her that much, but Shelby was sure that she wouldn't be entirely pleased with their so-called relationship. Rachel patted her softly on the shoulder. "It'll be fine," she assured her mother.

Once they arrived at the crowded bleachers, Burt went down to received them: "We were getting worried; we thought you'd miss the start of the game." He stopped and looked at Beth who was on Shelby's hip smiling shyly. "Aren't you the cutest thing ever?" he said with a goofy voice. "Let's go upstairs before we freeze here."

Rachel and Burt introduced Shelby to Carole and Deborah. "You two just missed the boys, the came to say hi about ten minutes ago," explained Carole.

Shelby awkwardly sat down between Rachel and Mrs. Puckerman, and she noticed how Deborah couldn't keep her eyes away from Beth. That action made Shelby feel even more uncomfortable about the situation she was in. "Would you like to hold her?" she suggested.

"Are you sure?" asked Deborah, a little nervous.

"I don't see why not, you are her grandma," replied Shelby, smiling as she passed the baby to her.

Puck's mom gently kissed Beth's temple before adjusting her in her lap. "It's incredible how you and Noah share the same judging eyes," she commented, chuckling.

"And they not only judge, they manipulate you too," added Shelby.

Deborah just laughed. "I know if I got a dollar for every time I let one of Noah's pranks slide just because he made his sad puppy eyes…"

Shelby smiled at the fact that he used that same trick with her. "I can imagine."

Both teams were now making their way onto the field and the crowd got up shouting and cheering them on. Deborah lifted up Beth, so she could see what was going on too. "Look Bethie, that's your daddy," she said pointing to where Noah was standing.

Shelby was surprised she addressed Noah as Beth's daddy, not even he did that yet, but it made her feel more relieved, because somehow it meant she knew about them, and that she was fine with it. Of course Shelby was just assuming, she needed to know it for sure, but this wasn't the place or time for that.

Rachel and the rest of the group caught Finn and Puck's attention. They waved back and Noah mouthed a quick "love you" to Shelby before sitting down on the bench with his team.

As the game went on, Rachel and Shelby visibly winced every time the Finn or Puck were tackled and thrown down to the ground; Shelby was getting worried he might get hurt really bad.

"He's fine don't worry," Deborah assured her, noticing her scared expression. "It looks worse than it actually is."

Shelby sighed and took a deep breath to compose herself. "Do you come to watch all his games?"

Mrs. Puckerman shook her head. "I have two jobs, but I try to come to the most important ones," she explained. "And since this is his last high school game I couldn't miss it."

They took a moment to watch how Beth played happily with Blaine, Kurt and Rachel. "She looks happy," commented Deborah.

"She is, I think coming back to Lima was a good decision," admitted Shelby.

"Noah, he's happy too, I can't recall the last time I saw him like this, like something truly mattered to him," she smiled at Shelby. "I think my boy is finally growing up."

During half time Burt and Carole went to buy some hot chocolate with Kurt and Blaine, leaving the girls alone for a while. It was then that a tall man approached Deborah. He was wearing a black t-shirt with the word Spartans on it. They smiled at him, and he immediately returned the gesture:

"Coach Beiste told me you're Noah Puckerman's mother?"

Deborah nodded and gave him a confused look. "I am, and you are?"

The man chuckled and extended his hand. "My name is Christopher Johnson and I'm a recruiter for the University of San Jose in California."

Rachel gasped and placed one of her hands on Shelby's knee. Chris sat down next to them. "I've been watching Noah playing, and he's really good, what colleges is he considering?"

"Probably a community college nearby I can't afford to send him somewhere too expensive," admitted Deborah sadly.

He nodded. "He's 18, he deserves to go to a college outside of Ohio and see what else is around, he's too young to be chained here," he paused. "We can offer him a full scholarship; we want him on our team next year."

Shelby looked away thinking about that comment. "Hey," said Rachel. "You are not chaining him to be here, he wants to be with you," she whispered.

"My son wants to be a family man," stated Deborah with a serious look on her face.

"I understand, but even for a dream as simple as that one, he's going to need a career of some sort," explained Chris as he handed a card to her. "I'm going to talk to him after the match but I could use your help too, just in case he hesitates."

"I'll help but I can't convince him to do anything if he doesn't want to go, he's a big boy now, he makes his own decisions." replied Deborah firmly.

Chris got up and smiled. "I understand but I'd still appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of the game. Thank you for your time," he said before leaving.

"Mrs. Puckerman you must be so proud," said Rachel smiling.

She just remained silent playing with Beth for a moment. "Regardless of the decision he makes, I am," she sated bouncing the baby.

Thanks to a pass Puck made to Mike, McKinley won their last football game of the year. Santana and the rest of the Cheerios splashed the boys with the Gatorade they kept on the benches. The seniors hugged each other before screaming Titans one last time. They walked to their lockers thanking the audience for their attendance during the season, but just when Puck was about to enter the dressing room Chris stopped him wrapping his arm around his neck. "Nice game son."

Noah joined his family and friends a while later. His mother was about to hug him when she noticed the sweatshirt he was wearing; it was white and it said Spartans.

"Did you?" she asked, her voice cracking a little with excitement.

"I haven't decided anything yet, I just couldn't say no to a free hoodie," he joked. "I have until January to think about it," he explained.

His mom hugged him tightly, which caused him to wince a little. "I'm proud of you," she whispered, wanting to savor the moment between the two of them.

He rolled his eyes embarrassed. "Mom!" he complained before hugging her back. "Thanks," he whispered back.

* * *

><p>Later that night Noah and Shelby were cuddling on her couch, with Shelby resting her head on Puck's shoulder. "Favorite movie?" she asked playing with the fabric of his hoodie.<p>

"Definitely, definitely Star Wars," he answered. The little Q&A game they had started months ago, because became a little thing between them, and now they played it every time they could.

"Does your family know about me?" he continued.

"My sister in law knows, but I begged her not to tell my brother; he's a little too overprotective, but she doesn't mind, she's happy actually. Does your mom know about me?" she asked.

Noah tickled her on the sides causing her to jump. "You're cheating, you can't ask the same thing," he reminded her.

She tried to convince him to let her ask that by pouting cutely, but he just shook his head. "Ask something else" he demanded.

"Fine." She thought by a few seconds before smirking. "What was the first thing you found attractive about me?"

"Fuck," whispered Puck. "I can't tell you that Shelb it's too stupid and embarrassing," he confessed.

She gave him a stern look. "Alright," he dropped his head backwards, closed his eyes firmly and swallowed hard before answering. "Your ass, happy now?"

Shelby began to laugh hysterically. "What? You need to explain that."

"Remember that day when we met, when you went to the school because of the tires incident?" he started.

Shelby nodded. "Well that day when you were leaving, I kinda checked you out and I remember thinking, damn she's hot," he told her.

She just kept laughing at his confession. "In my defense I didn't know you back then, now there are lots of other things I find extremely hot about you," he grinned.

"Still, it's funny Noah," she said more calm know, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm flattered, really."

He was about to kiss her on the lips when the sound of her door bell ringing stopped him. "Are you expecting someone?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm going to check who is it," he said going to the door.

"Look through the peephole first," she reminded him.

"Please Shelb all your neighbors already know who I am," he joked as he looked through the peephole. He saw a guy on the other side, he had light brown hair and he was a little short. He didn't recognize him as someone from the building or McKinley, so he opened the door.

The man stared at him with a confused look for a second. "Um hi, sorry I think I've got the wrong house I'm looking for Shelby."

She immediately recognized the voice and went to the door. "Tom?" she asked excited.

He smiled and walked inside ignoring Noah and immediately hugging Shelby. "Shelb! I've missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, what are you doing here?" Shelby asked, grinning widely.

Tom broke the embrace. "Don't worry, I'm not here to brain wash you or anything," he replied. "I'm on my way to visit my parents and decided to stop by; you look great by the way."

She laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. "You look good too, come sit down you need to tell me how everything's going."

Puck approached them and cleared his throat, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Sorry Noah," gasped Shelby, not believing that she had been ignoring him.

He shrugged and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Noah Puckerman," he said smiling.

Tom returned the handshake and examined him for a second. "Tom Levitt I'm an old friend of Shelby's from New York."

Puck nodded, finally understanding what was happening. They all turned their heads towards the hallway when Beth started to cry. "You two stay here, I'll go and check on her," said Noah.

"Wait until he leaves before you say anything," ordered Shelby to her friend. Tom rolled his eyes and played with his fingers, ignoring the fact he was dying to talk.

Puck returned a few minutes later. "She's good now, I'm pretty sure she'll sleep until tomorrow," he assured Shelby. "I'm gonna go, you guys probably want to catch up and stuff."

"Oh, you don't have to leave," insisted Tom, obviously teasing Shelby.

"It's fine, I'm exhausted and I have to wake up early tomorrow, I have some things to do," explained Puck as he shook Tom's hand. "It was nice meeting you."

He approached Shelby, giving her a kiss on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said before leaving.

Shelby and Tom stayed quiet for a few minutes making sure Noah wasn't going to return. "So…" started Tom.

Shelby played with her hair nervously. "Please be my guest."

"He's cute, okay he's really attractive," he stated. "I'm just going to say you two look like an old married couple and that's adorable."

Shelby smiled. "No comments about his age?"

He shrugged. "Who am I to judge? Love is love Shelby," he said simply. "But I do have to ask, what's going to happen after he graduates?"

"I don't know, he has a scholarship offer in California," she answered smiling. "He's not sure if he's going to accept it though."

Tom nodded and reached for her hands. "You think that's because of you?"

She nodded feeling somehow guilty. "Can I ask you something?" said Tom with serious tone.

"Anything," stated Shelby.

"Is he the reason why you haven't given us a straight answer about joining the production of Marilyn?" he asked.

"Yes," she affirmed. "I love him, and I don't want to leave him," she admitted.

Tom rubbed the sides of his forehead. "Then, he's going to do the same with the scholarship," he sighed. "He loves you, it's obvious. He has this particular look in his eyes and I could see it from only being with you two for a few seconds."

"If Rachel gets into NYADA, but she decides not to go because of that giant boyfriend of hers, would you let her?" continued Tom.

Shelby shook her head. "You won't lose him. He loves you and Beth, but you have to let him become the man he wants to be for you."

Shelby grunted and rested her head on his shoulder. "I hate it when you're right."

Tom laughed bitterly. "Sometimes I hate it too."

Back at his house Puck was playing with his XBOX 360 when his mom interrupted him:

"I thought you were going to stay over at Shelby's," she said sitting next to him.

He kept pressing the buttons and looking straight at the TV screen. "An old friend of hers showed up so I decided to go."

"Could you please turn that off for a second," Deborah ordered.

Noah gave her a scared look; he felt like he was 7 or 8 again and he was about to get grounded.

"I'm so proud of you Noah you have grown so much, but…"

"You need to know if I'm accepting the scholarship," he finished for her.

She nodded. "You deserve so much more than just staying here, and I wish I could have given that to you myself, but now you have that chance anyway."

He smiled proudly. "I know Chris even said that I can be a musical engineer or a producer isn't that cool mom?" grinned Puck, before becoming serious for a second. "But Shelby…"

"I know kiddo, I know how you feel," she cupped her face in her hands. "Whatever you decide to do, do it because it makes you happy, that's all I need."

* * *

><p>It was Christmas Eve and Noah was spending that night with Shelby and Beth. He finished placing all the gifts under the tree before going to the main bedroom. He smiled at the image of Shelby typing on her laptop. He carefully adjusted himself behind her and started to give her a massage on the shoulders.<p>

"You think I'd look good dressed as Santa Claus?" He asked.

Shelby laughed, "I think you're too fit for that role."

He applied a little bit of pressure to the back of her neck as he replied. "I could always get chubby."

Shelby tossed aside her laptop and let herself enjoy Noah's attention. "I guess you could."

"Would you still love me if I get all fat?" he asked resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Will you still love me when my hair gets gray?" she replied.

Noah understood that unlike him, she wasn't joking. He kissed her temple: "Of course I will," he said, hugging her tightly. "I will love you in all your forms."

"Then I wouldn't mind if you get chubby, besides you'd make a cute Santa Claus for Beth," she answered smiling.

The following morning Puck walked into Shelby's bedroom with a still slightly sleepy Beth. They kneeled down in front of Shelby and he removed some of her hair from her face before giving her a kiss. "Merry Chrismukkah mommy," he whispered.

Shelby opened her eyes and smiled at the image in front of her. "Merry Chrismukkah," she said getting up. She grabbed Beth and kissed her cheeks. "Why don't you go with…" she paused and smiled at Noah. "With your daddy and open some gifts, I'll be with you in a minute."

Puck's face lit up. "We can wait, can't we Beth?" he asked but the little girl shook her head firmly and answered with a simple, "No."

"Go, I'll be there in a second," she insisted kicking them out.

Beth opened all her gifts, including some from Shelby, Noah and his family, others from Rachel and her dads, a few from Jesse, Shelby's family. She had even received gifts from Quinn. Puck was happy that Beth had so many people who cared for her. He was glad that his daughter would have a big and really special family, and he knew she would never be bored at a family reunion.

Rachel arrived around midday as did Jesse. Shelby and Rachel exchanged odd looks with each other when they saw the two guys sharing a hug, like they were old friends. Puck found the opportunity to talk with Shelby alone when he saw that Rachel and Jesse were busy playing with Beth and also discussing the future of the baby in show business. He wrapped his arms around her waist and turned her around so she was facing him.

"This is for you," he said giving her a little box.

She frowned for a second. "I know we agreed to not buy anything for each other, I actually bought this months ago. I was planning to give it to you in New York when I was there for Nationals… but something happened, and you don't need to know about that," he mumbled.

Shelby opened the box and gasped when she saw a simple but beautiful gold bracelet with two small stars on it. "I know you like stars, so I asked for two, one is Rachel and the other is Beth," he explained as he put it on her right wrist.

"I love it," she said before kissing him. "But I don't have a gift for you."

He rested his forehead against hers for a second. "Are you kidding me? You called me Beth's daddy today, that's the best gift I could ever ask for."

* * *

><p>Hope you liked it, SMASH fans let me know your thoughts I gonna work a lot to gave the next update on Monday, so I'll read you guys really soon, enjoy your weekend!<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** Not much to say about this chapter I found it kind off boring, but since you are the readers, you always get the final opinion.

Special shoutout to **HOMGNIKOLET** because you are awesome, and I love our little convos on tumblr, and to **SoutherHemmy **I already thanked you for your last review but I have to do it again, thank you it said a lot of you as a person, it was beautiful really.

This fic wouldn't be nothing without you **BadassMotherShucker94** I'm really lucky to have you as my Beta Reader.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XVIII<strong>

Shelby couldn't believe where she was parked; she had being outside of Noah's house for about twenty minutes, but she still hadn't found the courage to even walk to the door. She turned her head and watched Beth. She looked bored, and she seemed to be asking her: _"So what are we going to do now?"_

Noah and Shelby had made a silent pact to not talk about the scholarship or Shelby's job offer until the holidays were over, but Shelby knew she needed to talk about it with someone who cared about Noah as much as she did; she needed to talk with his mother.

Finally after a few minutes of thinking and contemplating driving away from the house, Shelby managed to pick up Beth and approach the front door. She knocked on the door and Hannah opened it, the teenager immediately smiled: "Hi Shelby, my brother isn't here," she instantly said, assuming she was there looking for him.

"I'm actually looking for your mother, is she here?" she asked trying to hide her nervousness.

Hannah nodded. "Yeah, come in," she said, gesturing her to follow her into the house. "You can sit down I'll go upstairs to look for her."

Shelby walked around the small living room and took a few minutes to analyze the pictures of Noah. She smiled at his baby pictures, and then spotted a few pictures of him with Finn and Santana; one was of him smiling proudly the day of his Bar Mitzvah. Lastly she found a group of photos of him with Beth. Most were of Beth alone, but there were a few of them together including one of Shelby from the day they went to the park.

"It's amazing how fast they grow up, isn't it?" commented Deborah, smiling as she entered the room.

Shelby nodded. "Yes, it seems like yesterday I adopted Beth."

Deborah gestured for Shelby to sit down on the couch as she made her way back to the stairs. She called Hannah back for a second. "Han, why don't you take Beth with you upstairs for a while?" she paused and looked at Shelby. "Are you okay with that?"

"Sure, it's fine," she assured as she gave the baby to Hannah. "Don't be afraid to come downstairs if she gets grumpy."

Hannah nodded and kissed Beth on the cheek. "C'mon Beth, let's go and watch a movie," she said heading to her room.

Mrs. Puckerman offered Shelby something to drink, so they could get a little more comfortable before starting to talk.

Shelby sighed deeply before speaking. "Did Noah tell you…?" she started.

"About you two?" interrupted Deborah which caused Shelby to lower her head. "It's okay you don't need to feel embarrassed," she said in a comforting tone.

"I must confess that when he told me I felt a little uncomfortable, but it was mainly because of the complicated situation both of you were in at that moment. You were working at his school, and I was worried the wrong person would find out."

Deborah laughed a little before continuing. "Deep inside I always knew Noah would end up in a relationship with an older woman. Of course I never imagined it would be with the adoptive mother of his child."

Shelby smiled and fixed some hair behind her ears. "Trust me I never thought this was going to happen either, but he…"

"He's charming isn't he?" added Deborah smirking, before sighing deeply. "He got that from his father."

"He's more than just charming and good looking," stated Shelby. "He showed me another side of him, I had the chance to get to know the Noah, who's caring and wants the best for the ones he loves."

Mrs. Puckerman patted Shelby on the back. "He's like that because of you and Beth, you are the ones who made him want to be more than just the kid who cleans pools and plays football and the guitar."

Shelby looked Deborah straight into the eyes, and showed her all the concern she had being trying to hide from Noah. "I don't want to be the reason why he gave up on the dreams and opportunities he deserved," she confessed.

Puck's mom nodded and kept listening to Shelby. "And I know if I tell him that, he'll just be him and tell me that he's not sacrificing anything because he wants to be with me and Beth, but that doesn't make it fair. I had the chance to go to college and enjoy those years of my life. Who am I to stop him for doing that?"

Deborah hugged Shelby from the shoulders to calm her down. "He loves you so much, and the fact that you're telling me this proves to me that you love him too. I can assure you that no matter what happens between the two of you, you will always be able to count on him to be around for Beth."

Shelby nodded and tried to smile. "I want him to go to California, I really do."

"Just as much he wants you to go to New York again," added Mrs. Puckerman with a sad smile, because she knew that even though Noah wanted that it didn't mean it made him happy.

Shelby gasped and buried her face on her hands for a moment. "He does?"

"Of course, he told me that he wanted you to have a job that truly made you happy, and he knows you belong in New York and on Broadway, he just didn't want to force you to make a decision."

Shelby laughed bitterly, and thought of Noah feeling the exact same way that she was feeling right now; extremely confused and frustrated. Shelby knew that if she stayed in Lima their relationship would have to be hidden again but they had reached a point were that wasn't an option anymore. But if she leaves, there weren't many chances they would be able to stay together. She wasn't in a position where she could invest the time to being in a long distance relationship. Both options seemed awful.

"Shelby?" said Deborah distracting her from her thoughts. "Thank you."

Shelby didn't understand why she was saying that, and just gave her an odd look. "For what?"

"For helping my boy so much. You changed him for the better and showed him he is something completely different from what most other people see," she admitted, her voice cracking a little.

Shelby smiled and hugged her. "Thank you for being so supportive. I know this hasn't been something easy for you to accept," she pulled away and took a few sips from her glass of water. "Could you please not tell him I was here today?"

Mrs. Puckerman nodded smiling. "This will be our secret."

Meanwhile Puck was meeting with Jesse at a little bar in Lima. Just like Shelby he needed to talk to somebody about the issue with his possible scholarship and Shelby's job offer. Jesse sat down in front of him and smiled.

"Well, well, well. Unlike our last meeting you seem really happy right now."

Puck shook his head and sighed looking relieved. "I'm not going to lie, I am, I can't believe I managed to be with her," he closed his eyes for a second. "And, I wouldn't be in this position right now if it wasn't for your help."

Jesse laughed, "Don't be getting all sentimental now."

Puck scoffed and rolled his eyes as he started to play with the beer bottle he had ordered. "The thing is she has this job offer."

"Marilyn, I'm aware, have you talked about it?" asked Jesse.

Puck shrugged. "I told her that if she really wants it she should go for it." He drank some beer. "But she said she didn't want to talk about until the Holidays are over."

"At first I was planning on telling her to go, and I'll go to New York after graduation, but now I have this scholarship offer in California, and everything is just so complicated," explained Noah, worried.

Jesse raised his hand and ordered another round of drinks, glad that in the time they had been here no one had ask Puck for his ID. "Do you want to go to California? It's completely understandable if you do."

"I want to be the type of guy who Shelby can introduce to her family proudly, because this issue of me being younger is already a reason why her family might not like me." He paused and his tone became serious. "I want to prove to them that I'm with her because I love her and nothing else, and going to a good university is going to help me with that."

Suddenly Jesse started to clap which caused Puck to give him a confused look. "Wow look at you," said Jesse, with a sarcastic tone, although pride could also be heard in this words.

"Shut up," said Puck trying not to laugh. Sometimes he couldn't believe the things he said when it comes to Shelby. He definitely wasn't the same guy he used to be.

Jesse smiled and looked at his friend; he seemed torn, the position he was in wasn't the easiest one. "You'll have to talk to each other, so both of you know what's best for the other."

Noah lowered his gaze and sighed bitterly. "That's what I am afraid of…" he clenched his hands into fists before continuing. "I found what I always wanted, how do I tell myself I have to let it go."

Jesse shook his head. "Don't jump to conclusions, first talk then we'll see what happens," he raised his bottle gesturing a toast. "Now let's focus on enjoying what's left of this year."

Puck smiled and clicked the bottles. "And hope the next one will be better," he added hoping for the best.

* * *

><p>A few days later it was New Years Eve and Noah arrived at Shelby's apartment with a couple of groceries bags. He planned on cooking dinner for them since they weren't planning to go out, Beth was still too little to spend the whole night awake.<p>

He opened the door and went straight to the kitchen. When Shelby walked in to receive him she was surprise to see Noah unpacking some food.

"What's all this?" she asked trying to hide her excitement.

Puck shrugged and gave her a smile. "I thought we could have a little dinner, and maybe watch a couple of movies later, you know the three of us. I know it's probably not the same dinner you usually have with your family but it could be our tradition," he said shyly.

"You are so sweet," she said before kissing him. "Is your mother okay with you spending New Years Eve here?"

Noah laughed and nodded. "She told me: _'I've been spending this day with you over the past 18 years one night without you is not going to kill me,'"_ repeated Noah imitating her mother's voice the best he could.

"But she told me to ask if you and Beth wanted to have brunch with us tomorrow?"

Shelby helped him to unpack the food. "We'd love too, should we bring something?"

He shook his head and grabbed her by the waist. "Just that pretty face of yours."

Shelby rolled her eyes, trying to pretend she wasn't falling for Noah's charm. He picked up the stuff he had bought and gave her a stern look. "Go make yourself busy, I'm going to take care of this," he ordered taking the bags from her hands.

"And what am I suppose to do?" she asked, slightly frustrated

Puck gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I don't know, go and take a nap, or play with Beth. Just stay out of the kitchen for a while okay?"

"Fine," said Shelby starting to go to her bedroom.

"You'll love it," yelled Puck when he noticed she was already in the short hallway.

Shelby laid down on her bed, and began to surf through the TV channels. She stopped on a travel show and got more comfortable under the covers, still trying to process that Noah was outside cooking for her. She had always found men who could cook sexy, and she had always dreamed of having a boyfriend who could spoil her. Shelby thought she knew Noah very well but the truth was that he was a box full of surprises; he always seemed to find new ways of making her feel like a teenager again.

She started to feel tired; she pulled the covers closer to her face and a couple of minutes later she was sleeping soundly.

A few hours later Puck was almost done with the dinner. He cooked pop roast with potatoes, carrots and salad. For dessert he bought a German chocolate cake. He was finishing cleaning the kitchen when he approached Beth: "Hey there, monkey face what if daddy gives you a bath and puts you in your pajamas?" he asked picking her up from her playpen. Beth giggled and buried her face in his neck.

Noah set the little tub for her making sure the water was perfectly warm for Beth and put some of her toys in. He removed Beth's clothes and gently placed her in the water. He let her splash for a few minutes before he started to rub a damp cloth with soap on her body. "You're such a good girl," he whispered as he rinsed her head.

In the other room Shelby's laptop started to make a sound. She frowned for a brief second before reaching out for it. She looked at the screen and realized she was receiving a Skype call from her sister in law. She imagined she looked extremely sleepy but since it was family she didn't care.

"Sarah?" asked Shelby looking for her on the screen.

"Hi Shelby it's so good to see you, even if it's like this," answered Sarah smiling, "did I wake you?"

"You did actually," admitted Shelby fixing her hair into a ponytail. "I was taking a nap can you believe it?"

David approached the screen. "Where's Beth?" he asked concerned.

It's good to see you too Dave," said Shelby rolling her eyes.

"Honey, look Logan made a mess outside go and take care of that," ordered Sarah kicking her husband out of the room.

"Hold on a second Shelby." she said closing the door of the room where she was so they could talk properly. "You were taking a nap? Sorry."

Shelby just shrugged and smiled. "It's okay."

"Oh I recognize that smile you're wearing and it's not precisely a smile because you've slept, is he there?" asked Sarah with a smirk oh her face.

"Yes, Noah is here, he's cooking dinner," she glanced at her clock. "He's probably done by now, actually."

Sarah smiled. "He's cooking for you? Aw that's so sweet!" She shrieked.

Shelby blushed. "I know, he's something special."

Puck was just outside Shelby's bedroom with Beth on his hip. He was just about to enter, but stopped to listen to Shelby speaking:

"I know I miss you guys too. Beth is so big you wouldn't believe it... I don't know yet I promise I'll have a straight answer soon."

Puck rested his back against the wall and sighed deeply. He looked at Beth and kissed her on the head. "I love you," he whispered before knocking on the door.

"Come in Noah," said Shelby.

He sat down in front of her and placed the baby on the bed. "Is that him? I want to say hi to Noah," came Sarah's voice from the screen.

Shelby gestured for him to grab Beth and sit down next to her. She kissed him on the cheek. "Noah this is Sarah."

He smiled shyly and waved. "Nice to meet you."

Sarah smiled. "Thank you for taking care of Shelby and Beth."

He turned her face and looked at Shelby. "She's done so much for me this is the least I could do."

They heard a sound on the other side of the screen. Sarah sighed. "Twins... I have to go, enjoy your dinner guys and Happy New Year."

"Give a kiss to them for me, Happy New Year to you too," said Shelby before finishing the call.

Noah dropped his body on the bed and closed his eyes. "I think somebody is tired," teased Shelby.

He opened one of his eyes. "Just a little, are you hungry?" he asked.

Shelby nodded "Are you hungry Bee?" she asked covering the baby's face with kisses.

When they reached the living room, Shelby gasped; everything smelt wonderful. She adjusted Beth on her high chair, then walked over to Noah and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm speechless," she admitted.

He shrugged and kissed her deeply. "That means my plan worked," he grinned.

Shelby served the food, and Noah waited to until she tried the food; he wanted to see her expression when she had taken the first bite of food. Her eyes widened and she looked at him straight in the eyes. "It's delicious."

He started to eat as well. "I know I'm a good cook," he said proudly.

Around 9pm Beth was already sleeping and Noah and Shelby were watching some movies in her bedroom. It was cold but Shelby didn't mind because Puck was hugging her.

"You know I think that maybe in a few years we could take Beth to Time Square on New Year's Eve," Puck commented.

Shelby turned to face him and smiled. "That's good idea, it's a lovely experience. I haven't been there for New Year in a long time," she started to remember. "I used to go with Tom and Julia when we were younger."

"Julia is the other producer of the play right?" asked Noah.

She nodded. "She has a son, Leo. He adores Beth she's like the little sister he always wanted."

Puck suddenly kissed her, and Shelby wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled and ended the kiss. "2011 was a good year," he grinned.

"If we ignore the baby drama with Quinn," joked Shelby.

"I'm kinda glad that happened," admitted Puck as he kissed the base of her neck.

She gave him a shocked look. "Don't get me wrong, Quinn was awful but thanks to the whole situation, I somehow found the courage to show you how I feel."

Shelby nodded and rubbed his right cheek with her hand. "Lima used to be the place I never wanted to return too because I used to associate it with the mistakes I made," she paused and sighed. "But then you appeared and gave a whole new meaning to it. Thanks to you I can call Lima my second home," she kissed him deeply. "I love you."

"I love you too Shelby," he replied.

Just before midnight they were watching the celebration of the New Year in New York. Shelby was resting her head on Noah's lap as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. He grabbed her right hand and intertwined their fingers before kissing them.

"Only five minutes left," said Shelby with a hint of nostalgia on her voice.

He kissed her temple and watched the colorful city on the flat screen. "Any regrets?" he asked.

"Letting The Troubletones sing the Survivor/I will survive mash up instead of the Adele one during Sectionals," she said chuckling. "And you?"

"None," he stated simply. "Two minutes."

Shelby got up and adjusted herself in front of him wrapping his arms around her waist. "Resolutions?"

Noah stayed quiet for a few seconds listening to the hosts talking eagerly and looking at the families gathering around Times Square. He knew what his resolution was, not only for the following year, but also for all the upcoming years. "Be the perfect guy for you," he answered with a serious tone.

She turned to face him, she was about to protest but he shushed her. "Ten, nine, eight..." he started to count

They looked straight into each other's eyes during the last few seconds of the year. "Three, two... One" continued Noah.

They kissed deeply feeling that strange sensation that only happens during when a New Year has arrived. Everything looks exactly the same but there's something in the air that says that we have another chance to make a difference in our lives. For Noah and Shelby it meant that they have to face a decision that could change everything they had fought for over the last few months.

"Happy new year Shelby," whispered Puck eyes still closed.

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><p>Thank you for reading, reviews are always welcome next week's chapter it's gonna be better I promise! enjoy the two hours of Glee tomorrow, I can't wait to see Puck swapping roles with Blaine!<p>

Until next Monday!


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** Happy Monday everybody, you asked for a little angst well here it is, also we had a new addition to the story; Shelby's brother David can't wait to read your thoughts about him!

Nineteen chapters later and you're still helping to get this story ready for every update; it's hard to believe you are not tired at all. Thank you **BadassMotherShucker94**

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><p><strong>Chapter XIX<strong>

David Corcoran loved his family above everything else. Since he was a little kid he had been assigned with the duty of protecting his little sister and it was something he promised he'd always do, no matter how old they became, and how their life's occasionally caused them to drift apart. David had always found a way to be one step behind Shelby and it didn't matter whether she wanted him there or not.

So, it was no surprise that he caught the first plane to Lima after discovering Shelby's relationship. He found out by accident; his wife had left one of Shelby's recent emails open which had attached a few pictures of Shelby, Noah and Beth. David didn't take a second to think twice, he could see what was going on just by looking at Noah's arms around Shelby's waist.

Sarah begged him to stay and call Shelby, but he didn't listen; this was by far the craziest thing she had ever done. He didn't care that according to Sarah, Shelby was happy, because in his eyes she was only happy because nobody had taken a moment to give her a dose of reality yet.

Puck was arriving one afternoon to Shelby's apartment after having spent a couple of hours playing with Beth at the park. He still had a few days off school, and he wanted to spend them with his girls. But, it was also time for Shelby and himself to talk about what was going to happen with them. They needed to make a decision regarding Shelby's job offer and Puck's possible scholarship.

He was about to enter when he noticed the door wasn't locked like usual, something he found extremely weird. Puck pulled Beth closer to his chest and carefully entered the house. Nothing seemed strange; he even spotted Shelby's keys on the little table next to the door. "Shelb?" he called nervously.

"She's taking a shower," answered David as he made his way to the couch.

Noah smiled, relieved; he recognized who he was from Shelby's photos. He put Beth in her playpen and walked over to him: "David, right? You're Shelby's brother."

David nodded keeping a straight face which made Puck feel very uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his neck and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the couch. "Shelby didn't mention you were coming," he started, trying to light the mood. "Did you come with your wife and the twins?"

"It was an unplanned trip, they had to stay home," replied David coldly.

Puck nodded and stayed quiet. He could sense what was going on, he recognized the looks David was giving him; he didn't even need to say anything. David disapproved of him being Shelby's boyfriend.

David sighed and made sure Shelby's door was still closed. He knew she would take some time to get ready, so he took his opportunity to talk with the young man in front of him:

"How old are you?"

Puck turned his head and contained a chuckle. "18, why?"

"No reason, you go to high school, right?" continued David keeping the same cold tone.

"Yeah, I do." stated Puck firmly as he crossed his arms.

"What do you want?" asked David looking at Noah straight in the eyes.

He laughed for a few seconds before answering, "I'm sorry?"

"What do you want from my sister?" said David grabbing one of the edges of the couch tightly.

"Nothing!" replied Puck looking very offended.

"Oh and I'm supposed to believe that?" David got up from his seat. "Why else would a guy like you be with my sister?"

Puck tried to answer but David cut him off. "You have no idea of the commitment it means to be with her. You've been around for what 2, 3 months? And in that time how many diapers have you bought? How many bills have you paid? It's easy to say you want to be with them when you're only around to play with the baby," he paused and rubbed the sides of his head. "Please, tell me what job you have?"

And for the first time Puck felt ashamed of what he did to earn some money. "I, uh…" he hesitated for a few seconds before answering, "I clean pools," he mumbled with his head down.

"That's perfectly fine if you just want to earn some extra money for yourself, but that is not going to help if you want to raise a kid."

Noah started to get upset, but not with David per se; he was telling him the home truths he had been trying to avoid for a long time. He turned to face his baby girl and he couldn't help to feel humiliated.

"I love them, they're my family," he said. "And they love me too."

David grunted and rolled his eyes. "And for how long Noah? For how long you will love my sister?" he asked. "Can you swear to me you won't get bored when she doesn't want to go to party with you? Or when you have to change Spring Break for taking care of a sick kid? Or when you have to use your savings for something for the house instead of the new car you always wanted?"

The room elapsed to an awkward silence. "I thought so," said David.

Puck buried his face in his hands for a second trying to ignore what he was being forced to listen to:

"You're at a point in your life when you're reaching your last opportunity to be careless. Right now you're just playing house in here and I bet it has been fun but the truth is you're just a kid Noah!" stated David raising his voice in a very protective tone.

Puck remained silent looking at David. He just wanted to get up and punch him, but not because he was mad at him, because David wasn't doing anything wrong. Noah just wanted to shut him up because the words that were coming out of his mouth really hurt him. "I have to go," he said as he stood up and walked to the door.

"You're not a bad guy Noah, you're just not ready for this yet," said David not leaving his spot in the living room.

Puck turned to face him one more time. "You think you know me, but you really don't," he stated before going.

Shelby walked to the living room a few minutes later. She was surprised when she found Beth smiling at her from her playpen. She picked up her daughter and kissed her on the head. "Did you have a great time at the park? How about a little snack before I give you a bath?"

She walked around the kitchen with Beth on her hip; she stopped at the counter because she noticed Noah's keys were there. She started to look around for Noah but they were no signs of him being there. David, who was siting down on the couch, watching his sister and waited; he knew she was going to talk at any second.

"I knew I shouldn't have left you here alone!" She started sounding upset. "Where is he?"

He shrugged indifferently. "Home I guess, he didn't say where he was going."

She gave Beth a cookie and walked with her to the couch. "What did you say to him?" she continued, in an accusing tone.

"What else Shelby? The truth that he's not in a position to be taking care of you and Beth."

Shelby looked at him with a mixture of anger and disappointment in her eyes. "You have no right to come here and say any of that to him."

"Of course I do, I'm your brother!" he almost yelled.

Beth started to get uncomfortable with the situation she was in, so Shelby settled her back in the playpen. "You don't know him Dave," she continued standing in front of him arms crossed.

"What do I need to know? He's a kid Shelby, he cleans pools. He can't help you properly."

She shook her head firmly. "Noah helps me in so many ways that are different from just giving me the money to buy things for Beth. He makes me feel that I'm not alone."

"I'm your family Shelby I would never leave you alone," reminded David firmly.

Shelby ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "And I know that, but you have Sarah and Logan, and Seth, you can't always be with me no matter how hard you try, we're not kids anymore," she paused and sat down next to him. "Noah makes me feel whole."

David stared at her with a shocked expression. "Shelby, I really hate to be the one who says this but what's going to happen when Beth is 7 or 8 and Noah decides he wants to have another child. He'd still be very young."

She looked away not wanting to let her brother seeing her breaking down. "You know you're not…"

"Please leave," interrupted Shelby. Hurt could be heard in her words.

"I'm just trying to…" insisted David trying to explain himself, but she didn't want to listen.

"If you really want the best for me, you could have at least tried to get to know Noah instead of saying God knows what to him!" She paused and looked at him. "David I love you, but the real kid here is you."

He got up and walked to the door. "I just don't want to see you getting hurt," he said sadly as he left.

Shelby waited until she heard the door being closed before she let her tears fall. There was a reason why she always seemed to dislike when Noah told her he wanted to be the perfect guy for her, and it was because she felt that she would never be the type of woman he deserved. Shelby thought that he would like to have more kids eventually and that was something she would never be able to give him. She composed herself a bit and attempted to call Noah, but the phone rang and rang. "Please pick up," she pleaded, but he never did.

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><p>Puck was crushed. He felt like he had been sent right back to first base. What was worse was that he couldn't even call Jesse because he was out of town with his family, so he drove to the Lopez's house instead. He stood below Santana's bedroom window. "Santana!" he whispered.<p>

No answer, so he grabbed a few rocks from the ground and tossed them up to the window. "San!" he repeated.

The girl appeared face at the window and looked for a familiar face in the yard. "The fuck? Don't you know there's a bell?" she started angrily, but she changed her expression as soon as she saw his scared look.

"Are your parents in?" Noah asked.

She shook her head. "They went to a party or something."

He looked at the floor and kicked some dirt. "Are you um, with Britt?" he asked embarrassed.

"No, she went to visit some family out of town," she gave him a comforting smile. "You want some beer?"

Puck nodded and picked up the key Santana had thrown to him. When he entered she was already in the kitchen getting some bottles out of the fridge. Mr. and Mrs. Lopez were familiar with the behavior of most the teenagers these days; they knew they liked to drink and most of them wouldn't wait until they were 21 to start, so they let Santana and her friends drink inside their house, with one simple rule: They wouldn't leave if they were too drunk to drive.

Noah sat down in the living room and sighed deeply as he took some sips of his beer. Santana patiently waited for him to talk; she knew her friend hated when someone pressured him to say something, so she just sat down quietly and watched the TV.

When he was about to finish his second drink he started to talk. "Her brother is here."

"Was he a jackass to you?" she asked.

He shook his head before resting it against the back of the couch. "No, at least I don't think so, he was honest that's all. He said I'm not good enough to be with her, and that I can't help her to raise Beth."

"That's bullshit," snapped Santana. "When Quinn told you she was pregnant you were willing to sacrifice a lot of things to help her, there's nothing different now."

He smiled sadly. "It scares me sometimes you know?" he confessed. "Knowing that if Shelby and I managed to build a strong relationship Beth's life will depend on me, but then I see her smile, everything just disappears. I would do anything to make her and Shelby happy."

They turned their heads to the center table. Puck's cellphone was buzzing; actually it had been doing that for a long time. "Aren't you going to pick up?" asked Santana.

He sighed and shrugged, he wasn't in the mood to talk to Shelby. He imagined she was as stressed out as he was, and that she needed to listen to him, but he wanted to calm himself down before talking. "She must be worried," commented Santana.

"More than worried, she must be freaking out, look at me! I can't even imagine what David would have said to her."

They kept drinking and talking until Puck gave up and fell asleep on the couch; his phone never stopped buzzing during that whole time. Santana made sure he was sleeping soundly before reaching out for it. "Shelby?" she whispered.

She sighed relieved: "Santana is he with you?"

"Yeah, he's a little shaken up he's sleeping do you want me to give him a message when he wakes up?" she asked.

Shelby ran her hands through her hair nervously. "No, just tell him I called."

"Don't worry I will," she assured Shelby before hanging up. She turned to look at Noah. She really hoped his relationship with Shelby wouldn't regress again, because she was afraid he might no be able to get through that a second time.

Later in the night Puck opened his eyes, Santana just scoffed as he adjust himself on the couch. "Did she call?" he asked with a scratchy voice.

Santana, who was eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs and watching some cartoons nodded, "And she sounded bad if you ask me, you should go over there and don't even try to fool me saying you're too drunk for drive cause I know you're not," she ordered without removing her eyes from the screen.

He gave her his sad puppy eyes, but she ignored him completely. "I won't fall for that," she looked at him straight in the eyes. "I know you're scared but you came here to get yourself together. Shelby's all alone and she needs you."

Puck nodded before getting up. He sighed deeply and smiled at his friend: "Wish me luck."

Santana smirked. "Good luck."

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><p>Shelby was in her living room trying to distract herself by watching some TV, but it was useless. She had called Sarah who immediately apologized for what happened. Shelby assured her that it wasn't her fault, it was just a matter of time before David found about her and Noah. She kept herself busy during the rest of the day thanks to Beth, but just as soon as the toddler fell asleep she started to remember the events that had occurred hours before and it was in moments like this one, when she was completely stressed out, that she missed Noah the most.<p>

Shelby was about to give up and go to bed when she heard a knock on the door. She quickly opened it, not even bothering to check who was. "Hey," said Noah simply as he attempted to smile.

"You left your keys," said Shelby trying to sound casual, but Noah could see she was as bad as he.

He nodded. "Sorry, I kinda left all of the sudden," he scratched his neck before continuing. "Can I come in?"

She let him inside; he went straight ahead to Beth's room and kissed her on the head before whispering, "Sweet dreams." Back in the other room he found Shelby sitting down looking away. For a moment Noah had a flashback about the time she had argued with Quinn in that same place. He cleared his throat as he sat down next to her. "So, I met your bother today," he joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Shelby laughed bitterly. "I apologize for him."

Puck shrugged before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, which caused her to rest her head on his chest. "It's okay; I don't blame him for acting like that. You see brothers are like that when it comes to our little sisters." he chuckled. "A few months ago this boy I think his name was Andrew arrived at the house with Hannah; I pretty much threatened him to beat him up if he hurt my sister."

"I'm not a kid like Hannah," she stated.

"That doesn't mean he would stop trying to protect you," he told her.

She pulled away from him and gave him a serious look. "What did he say to you?"

Puck sighed, "Nothing I didn't know already," he admitted, as he remembered the words David had said to him.

She tried to tell him that what David said wasn't true but he stopped her with a stern look. "Listen, David didn't lie okay? you deserve better than me," he mumbled.

"Noah you think I don't feel insecure?" she asked as she grabbed his hands. "When I look at you sometimes I think why you love me so much, and it scares me that one day you'll see a younger girl and decided to go with her because she can offer what I can't."

He gave her a confused look; Shelby smiled and gave him a short kiss before explaining herself. "I'm afraid that you might leave me for someone who can give you more kids."

Puck's eyes widened, he grabbed her by her waist and pulled her closer to him. "I would be lying if I said I don't want more kids in the future, but we can adopt one or two," he laughed at Shelby's scared expression. "But who knows? Maybe in a few years I'll change my mind and decide I don't want more, the only thing I'm sure about is that I love us, just like we are the three of us."

He rested his head on her temple and whispered comforting words in her ears, trying to calm her down. Noah told her how his afternoon with Beth was, he explained the little girl made a new friend in the park, a little boy named Sean and they played together for a long time. Shelby laughed at his story and started to feel better. She cupped his face in her hands for a moment before kissing him.

Noah immediately returned the kiss, he loved tasting Shelby's lips but what he loved the most was how he felt every time he kissed her; Noah felt like he was taking a high dive. All the fear and expectations of the first kiss were still present each time. Shelby pulled away but kept her hands resting on his head "I…" she started, "The holidays are over," she said.

"I know, but I still don't know what I want to do," he admitted, never removing his eyes from hers.

Shelby rubbed his right cheek. "I think you do know but you're afraid to say it."

He looked away and tried to smile, but it wasn't something easy for him to say. Noah sighed deeply before speaking: "I want you to take the job offer and go to New York."

Shelby swallowed hard and nodded. "And I want you to accept the scholarship and go to California."

Puck shook his head firmly. "No, I can find a school and a decent job in New York and be with you and Beth after I graduate," he affirmed.

"Noah if you want to make me happy, go to California. If you go straight ahead to New York I'll always feel guilty for taking away that opportunity you deserved," she explained sadly.

He grabbed her waist tighter. "No, I can't because I don't want to go to California," he paused and held her closer to him. "What I want is this person who I'm holding right now, and that baby girl who's sleeping in the next room."

Shelby pulled his face closer to her by the neck. "Please look at me," she cooed, waiting until he did so before continuing. "You won't be doing anything wrong if you go, I promise."

"I just don't want to lose you," he mumbled.

"You won't okay? I promise Beth and I will still be around for you," she assured him, trying to hide the sadness in her voice.

Puck shook his head and hugged Shelby tightly. She rested her head on the base of his neck and sniffed at little, which cause Puck to smile sadly, and he started to rub circles on her back to soothe her. "I can't believe this is happening," he said.

"Do you have to go home tonight?" she whispered with her head buried in his neck.

"I can stay tonight, don't worry my mom will understand," he said simply.

They lay down in bed, Noah hugging her from the waist and resting his head on her shoulder. Shelby was so overwhelmed she thought she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, but the feeling of having Noah with her, relaxed her enough to closed her eyes and drift to sleep.

He smiled as he felt how her breath rhythm had changed. He kissed the back of her neck and closed his eyes, trying to sleep as well, but he found it impossible. He couldn't believe what that conversation they just had meant. Shelby was leaving, and so was Beth and there was nothing he could do. Puck knew he could ask her to stay, but he wasn't that selfish. It was a really odd position for him to be in, but he really understood that if he loved them as much as he did, he needed to let them go, and if he was determined enough he would get them back.

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><p>Aw that was sad, wasn't it? Remember reviews are always welcome and so appreciated they make smile a lot!<p>

Can't believe I'm writing this but, enjoy the season finale of Glee; I still can't believe Shelby didn't return (Thank you writers) what a disappointment. Let's hope the best for Puck and by that I mean let's hope we'll have him next season!

Have a nice week and until next Monday!


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: **Happy start of the summer, at least for you guys! I still have classes and stuff until next month.

Here's is Shelby's departure during this season of Glee, hope you like and it fills that awful plot hole and if you leave a review you'll make me so happy.

The song I used for this chapter is called **"Even if the moon fell down tonight" **by **Chase Coy**, it fits so much to Puck and Beth's relationship in my opinion, here's a link if you want to listen to it: .com/watch?v=Pa6z0ebf788

To my Beta Reader **BaddassMotherShucker94** thanks for always taking the time to help me, I feel I cannot thank you enough for your help.

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><p><strong>Chapter XX<strong>

Most love stories have one thing in common: sacrifice. It's always the same, you have the guy who gives away something vital, sometimes his own life just to save the one he loves, or the girl who's strong enough to step aside because she loves someone so much she wants to see that person happy, even if that means it has to be without her.

Sacrifice and love go hand in hand, Noah understood that when Beth was born. That feeling he had the day he and Quinn said goodbye to their baby was something he would never forget. He couldn't stop thinking about the things he would have to let go pretty soon, but unlike the last time he said goodbye to Beth and Shelby, he couldn't find anything positive about the situation. He wasn't even sure who would be happy after they leave. Noah looked at Shelby who was sleeping hugging him tightly. He sighed and came to the conclusion that he might just need to grow up a little more before being with Shelby in a more serious commitment. The problem was he didn't know if she would still be available by that time. He carefully got up making sure he won't wake her up. Puck covered her with a blanket and he gave her a kiss on the forehead, before getting dressed and going to Beth's room.

"Hey monkey face!" he whispered walking to the baby's crib.

Noah picked her up and played with her raising her up above his head. "I have a little idea," he started as he went to the kitchen with the little girl. "What if you spend the day with Rachel?" He adjust her on her high chair. "I bet she'd love to."

Puck began to cook some breakfast for Beth, occasionally stopping to play with her and making funny faces. After he had fed her, and washed the dishes, he grabbed the phone and called Rachel. She happily agreed to take the girl with her for the day, she imagined Noah and her mother would like to have some time alone, and since Beth was a really easygoing baby she couldn't refuse.

Puck gave Beth a bath, dressed her and started to pack some of her things in her little bag. It was nearly 8 o'clock when Rachel knocked on the door. "Hey you came fast." said Noah surprised.

"Just because its winter break doesn't mean my singing lessons are going to stop," she explained with a serious tone.

"Right," he replied trying to sound interested. "Come in, I'm still packing some of Beth's stuff into her bag."

Rachel smiled at the image of Noah acting like a real daddy; it was that side of him that made her feel comfortable with her mom's new relationship. Seeing Puck being so caring and thoughtful about them gave Rachel the security she needed to accept it. She wanted to see her mother happy, and Noah seemed to add the last thing Shelby needed for that.

"Is my mom still sleeping?" she asked looking around.

"Yeah we kinda have a rough day yesterday," explained Noah trying to hide his sadness the best way he could.

Rachel gave him a worried expression. "Is everything alright?"

Puck shrugged as he packed Beth's jacket. "Define alright."

"She's going to accept the job offer isn't she?" She didn't let him answer before continuing. "I don't understand why are you letting her do that?"

He left Beth's diaper bag in the little table next to the front door, before walking to where Rachel was. "Because sometimes letting go is the right thing to do."

Rachel picked up Beth and smiled at Noah. She couldn't believe he was going to let her mother leave for New York; it was obvious he was going to be hurt. The fact that Noah was putting aside his own feelings made her smile sadly. "We should go, right little star?" she said to the baby. "Your mommy and daddy deserve some time alone."

Noah walked them to the door and thanked Rachel again for doing this favor for him. He kissed his baby girl one more time before closing the door and heading back to Shelby's bedroom and found her still sleeping. He climbed into the bed and hugged her by the waist carefully, but that didn't stop her from waking up.

"What time is it?" she asked in a complaining tone.

"A little pass 8," replied Noah as he placed kisses on the start of her back.

She immediately opened her eyes. "Why did you let me oversleep? I have to feed Beth." She released herself from his grip and started to get up.

"Shelby…" started Noah with a groan as he sat down next to her. "Rachel is spending the day with Beth; she picked her up a few minutes ago."

She crooked an eyebrow and smiled. "Did you plan it?"

"Sort off, I got the idea when I woke up," he said grinning. "Now can we go back to bed?" he pleaded with his sad puppy look.

Shelby smiled and adjusted herself again on his chest and watched how he started to drift to sleep, it was just a matter of minutes before Noah's breathing became completely calmed. She wished she was the same woman, who could easily detach from people with no second thoughts or regrets, but Shelby wasn't like that anymore and the truth was that she was afraid of saying goodbye to Noah because she didn't know if they could be together again.

She was worried about Beth too, the little girl was so attached to him, it didn't matter how small she was, she considered Noah her daddy and not seeing him again all of the sudden would hurt her.

"Stop overthinking," mumbled Noah as he drew circles on her back.

"Shut up, and go back to sleep," ordered Shelby.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you made waffles," said Noah smiling before eating more food. Shelby had cooked a really nice breakfast for him and he was enjoying every single bite of it.<p>

She laughed and sat down next to him. "You liked them?"

Puck nodded and swallowed before answering. "I loved them, thanks," he drank some juice and smiled at her. "Do you want to do something special today? We can go out or something?"

She shrugged and set some of the plates in the dishwasher. "Actually Noah, I want to ask you a favor."

"You know you can ask me anything," he stated.

Shelby fixed some of her hair and gave him a serious look. "I'm going to call Tom today, and I would really like to have you here with me if that's okay," she explained.

Puck stayed quiet for a few seconds looking at her. He really wanted to tell her to stay but just like those other times when he had the chance, he stopped himself. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

He walked to where Shelby was standing and hugged her from the waist. "It means a lot to me," he said.

She turned around and kissed him. "It's the least I could do," she said sadly, as she broke the embrace.

"I have to go, my mom deserves to see my face," he joked. "Besides I could use a change of clothes," he gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you in a bit; don't get too bored without me here."

Noah arrived at his house and immediately called his mother but Deborah didn't answer him, instead Hannah showed up walking down the stairs. "Mom is at this brunch thing with some people from her work."

Puck scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "I was hoping to see her before going out again," he stopped and smelled around realizing the chocolate scent that was invading his home. "Did you?"

"Bake chocolate chip cookies?" finished Hannah for him.

"I guess I could eat a few cookies before heading back to Shelby's," he said making his way to the kitchen.

Hannah poured two glasses of milk and placed a plate full of cookies for them on the table. She laughed watching her brother enjoying the sweet treat.

"So, how's Shelby?" she asked.

"She's okay," Puck answered dipping a cookie in his glass of milk. "Sorry I didn't tell you about us."

"It's okay I understand; you were nervous that people might judge you," she assured him.

Noah smiled sadly; he knew it wasn't too late to open up to the other member of his small family so he decided to talk: "She's leaving to New York"

Hannah nearly choked on her cookie. "Why?"

"She has a job offer and I want her to go," he explained.

"And how are you with that?" she asked concerned.

"Okay I guess, I think I haven't fully realized that it's actually happening yet," he admitted. "I'm hoping they don't need her anymore over there, but who am I kidding, she's awesome they'll welcome her there with open arms."

They laughed for a minute. "Noah, even if she does leave, it doesn't mean it's over for good," she paused and ate a cookie. "I think you two belong together, and you'll find a way back to each other." She removed the plate from the table. "Now, you've ate enough, I'm packing some for Shelby and Beth."

On his way to Shelby's house Noah had an idea and called her. "Hey, get dressed, not too fancy just something casual, we're going out." He didn't even wait for her answer before hanging up.

Since he hadn't let her refuse, Shelby did what he said and dressed herself. About twenty minutes later the door bell rang. Shelby went to open the door and looked at Noah outside; he was wearing a dark blue shirt, black jeans and a jacket. He smiled at her and gave her a lily.

She smelled the flower. "Why did you ring the bell? You have your keys."

He analyzed her clothes for a moment. She was wearing a white blouse, blue jeans and a pair of boots. "Well Shelby Corcoran the answer is simple," he said offering his arm to her. "We're going out on our first date."

Shelby's eyes widened in excitement, she grabbed her purse and closed the door behind them. Puck tangled their arms together and led her to the elevator. She stared at him; he was wearing a serious expression, like he was trying not to laugh. "Where we are going?" she asked.

Puck rolled his eyes. "It's a surprise my lady, I can't tell you," he teased, keeping his straight face.

"I need to know if I'm overdressed," she refuted.

Noah looked at her; just like the same time he first saw her walking through the halls of McKinley. "You look perfect, don't worry." He grabbed her hand and walked her to his truck, not forgetting of course to open the door for her.

"Such a gentleman," she joked as she entered.

"Don't try to lie, you know you like this," he told her with his lopsided grin before closing the door.

Shelby tried to act indifferent, but Puck was doing a good job of brushing his hands with hers every time he could; he wanted to make sure her last days in Lima would be very special, and even though she loved that about him, it would only make it harder to say goodbye. "Are we close?" she asked almost sounding like a child.

"Yes, somebody isn't very patient today…" he replied as he drove the car to a little parking lot.

Noah took her out of the car and walked to a little outdoor restaurant. She intertwined their fingers as they made their way inside, which caused him to smile with pride. "Do you like that table?" he asked pointing at one with a view to the back yard.

She nodded happily and let him guide her to the table. Shelby almost blushed when he helped her to sit down. Once he was settled they ordered some drinks before starting to talk:

"So, do you bring all your girls here?" she asked raising an eyebrow and smirking.

He shook his head laughing. "I don't go out in dates that often, never been interested, to be honest," he paused and reached for one of her hands. "Until now."

Noah watched how Shelby reached out for her cellphone; she was about to check it, but he stopped her by grabbing it from her hands. "Hey, she's fine Rachel and her dads are probably having a really fun day," he chuckled. "Now C'mon check the menu, we need to decide what to order."

Shelby looked through the menu reading the different food options. "I think I know what I want," she commented. "But I'm still unsure about the dessert."

"It's okay we can decide that later, no worries," he assured her without removing his eyes from the menu.

"Noah," she said sounding serious, which caused him to lock eyes with her.

Shelby gestured for him to lean in to the center of the table. She waited until he did it to talk. "I think we should eat the dessert at home," she whispered seductively.

He pulled back and looked at her with his jaw dropped. "I have no problem with that," he added with his charming voice.

They ordered their food, and just when the waiter left the table Noah's cell started to buzz. He checked who it was and he knew he shouldn't let it go to voice mail.

"Sorry it's my mom, it has to be important if she's calling." He got up from the table. "I should take this outside, I don't want to bother anyone, be back in a sec."

"Hey Chris I'm glad you returned my call." said Noah as he reached the entrance of the restaurant.

"Noah Puckerman I've been waiting to hear from you, tell me you made a decision? Will I see you next year playing with the Spartans?" asked Chris with a hint of pride in his voice.

"It's a great offer, I would be stupid if I say no," he admitted smiling.

Chris sighed, relieved. "Yes! I knew you'd make the right call, I'll be back in Lima in a few weeks to talk with you and your mom about everything."

"Great, there's jut one doubt I have on my mind," he paused before continuing. "How long do I have to stay in California before I can think of changing schools, for example one in New York?"

* * *

><p>About ten days later most of the things in Shelby apartment had been changed. Tom and Julia had accepted her as a new member of the production of their musical, without hesitating for a second, so she and Noah had been spending most of the following days packing. Shelby was glad she didn't need to take any furniture with her, because only organizing Beth's things was a lot of work.<p>

One afternoon Jesse and Rachel were helping with the packing in the living room while Shelby was talking over the phone and Noah was at the park with Beth.

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do to make her stay?" whispered Jesse.

"They made a decision, I don't think we can change it," stated Rachel as she placed some security tape on one of the boxes.

"C'mon you know they're not happy with this," he paused and looked Rachel in the eyes. "You are her daughter."

"Jesse…" started Rachel with a serious tone. "Both of them are grown ups they know what's best for each other."

He got up and put some empty boxes on the kitchen counter. "Damn I worked so hard for this to happen," he mumbled upset.

"What did you say?" asked Rachel with a suspicious look in her eyes.

"Nothing," he replied with his signature smile.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Shelby as she entered the living room. She grabbed some of the boxes that were ready and placed them at the back of the room.

"Just theater things you know Shelb," answered Jesse, as he walked closer to her. "I have to go, I have to some work things to do," he kissed her on the cheek, "I'll see you before you leave okay?" he said before going to the door.

Once the door was closed Rachel sat down next to her mother on the couch. "It looks so empty without your things here," commented Rachel.

"I know, I had just become adjusted to being here, now it feels so strange packing everything and leaving again."

"There's nothing I can say to make you stay is there? You know you could be back at McKinley; the offer to coach New Directions with Mr. Schue is still open," insisted Rachel.

Shelby laughed bitterly. "Honey, even if I stay you'll leave eventually after the summer," she explained. "You can visit in me in New York more often once you start NYADA. I know how scary that city can be sometimes, so I'd rather be there for you than here," she paused. "Don't worry I'll be back in May for your graduation and I'll be constantly pestering you about your audition," she assured her daughter.

Rachel lowered her gaze. "Are you sure you won't be too busy with your new job?" she mumbled, almost sounding like a little girl.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world Rachel, I promise," stated Shelby before hugging her. "Would you like to come and say goodbye at the airport?"

"I think Noah should be the one who goes with you," admitted Rachel "Besides we're going to be seeing each other a lot pretty soon!"

Shelby nodded, feeling happy that Rachel was being so supportive. "I want to ask you a favor, please keep an eye on Noah; he'll pretend he's fine but he's not going to be. I've got Beth to help me, but he's going to feel alone, please don't let him fail."

"I won't mom, I promise that you and Beth will see him graduating."

Later that day Puck was moving around Shelby's apartment tossing around some of the boxes, looking for something. He wasn't having any luck so he went to her room to check again. "Shelb, have you seen my Spartans hoodie? I can't find it anywhere and it's not in my house I've checked," he yelled at her because she was in the bathroom and had the door closed.

She walked outside and touched his left shoulder to get his attention. When he turned around to face her he couldn't help but grin. "The only jacket I have unpacked is the one I'm taking on the plane, I hope you don't mind."

"It looks better on you anyway," he paused and analyzed her. "You look hot!"

Shelby smacked him on the shoulder, trying to hide her embarrassment. "What?"

asked Puck rubbing the spot where she had hit him. "I'm not lying," he teased before turning serious. "Keep it, I can get another, remember you're my lucky charm I need you to have one." He gave her a quick kiss before heading back to the living room to finish organizing the rest of the things.

Puck helped Shelby finish packing most of the things. She and Beth would leave first, and he'd make sure to send the things they would not take with them on the plane. "I'm going to give Beth a bath and put her down to bed," said Noah before picking the baby up from the floor, as her playpen was packed already.

Shelby stayed in the living room watching some TV. She was trying to concentrate on the show, but suddenly Noah's voice started to sound from the baby monitor. She muted what she was watching and listened to him.

"Well monkey face, you're leaving tomorrow, that means you need to sleep well tonight," he said as he grabbed his guitar and sat down on the floor in front of the crib.

"I've been practicing this song for you, and now's a good time for you to hear it," he paused and cleared his throat; he could feel a lump forming already.

"I love you Beth, that's why this song is for you, because it means exactly how I feel about you and me," he started to play the chords:

_Everytime I see your smile it makes my heart beat fast And though it's much too soon to tell _

_I'm hoping this will last Cuz I just always wanna have you right here by my side _

_The future's near, but never certain So please stay here for just tonight_

_I must've done something right to deserve you in my life I must've done something right along the way_

_I just can't get you off my mind And why would I even try? _

_Even when I close my eyes, I dream about you all the time I just always wanna have you right here by my side _

_The future's near But never certain So please stay here for just tonight_

_I must've done something right to deserve you in my life I must've done something right along the way_

_Even if the moon fell down tonight There'd be nothing to worry about at all _

_Because you make my whole world shine As long as you're here everything will be alright_

_I must've done something right to deserve you in my life I must've done something right along the way_

Noah smiled at the image of Beth sleeping soundly in her crib. He walked over to her and gave her one last goodnight kiss. "I love you, and I'll see you in the morning," he whispered.

Shelby could hear how Noah's voice was breaking towards the end of the song. Her heart was breaking listening to him sing; she finally understood that they would have to say goodbye. She buried her face in her hands and let a few tears escape from her eyes; she really wished everything could be different for them.

The following day Puck drove Shelby and Beth to the airport. He helped to carry their bags, and check in on their respective flight. He scratched the back of his neck and looked at Shelby who had been avoiding his eyes since she woke up.

"Please look at me," he pleaded fixing some of her hair behind her ears. Once she did he continued. "I love you, and I'll miss you so much," he started but she stopped him. Shelby always hated goodbye's, that's why she was avoiding having to say it to him.

"You'll do a wonderful job in New York, I'm pretty sure that in no time I'll be seeing the commercials of that musical," he said trying to sound cheerful.

Shelby smiled and intertwined their fingers one last time. "Remember we'll always be there for you, we'll always be your family."

He nodded. "I know I'll find a way back to you two when it's time; I hope you're still single at that moment."

That comment made Shelby laughed. "I can say the same for you."

Noah rolled his eyes and swallowed hard before picking Beth up from her stroller. He kissed her head and hugged her carefully. "Beth I love you, and I'm sure you don't really understand this very much but we have to stop seeing each other for a while," he explained. "I promise you that next time you see me you'll be proud of me and I'll be the perfect daddy for you," he sat her back down and gave her one last kiss.

"I'll see you soon," he said hoping he meant those words.

Puck rubbed Shelby's cheek and tried to kiss her, but she turned her head around. He could see it was hard for her too, so he just kissed her left cheek instead. "I love you Noah," said Shelby trying to smile.

"I love you too."

Shelby made sure Beth was well adjusted in her stroller before moving forward. "Say goodbye to daddy Bee," she said, but Beth started to huffed and sniffed, she couldn't understand what was going on. "Daddy!" she started.

He knelt down in front of the stroller and grabbed her tiny hands. "I'm sorry Beth, I really am, but this is the best thing for you," he looked at Shelby who had some tears in her eyes too. "Just go, she'll calm herself soon," he ordered, getting up and stealing one last kiss from her.

Shelby and Beth left after that. Puck kept hearing his baby crying, calling after him until they crossed the gate. It broke his heart even more than the first time he had watched her leave. He turned back and went to his truck and drove as fast as he could to his house, but once he was there, he couldn't find the courage to enter; he didn't want anyone to see him like that. So he made his way to the back yard and sat down on the little bench they had. He buried his face in his hands and let tears and sobs escape his body. He lost track of the time, until a pat on his shoulder distracted him. He looked up and grunted.

"You said you'd kick my ass if I hurt her, but I think we hurt each other. Besides you're too short to hit my face," snapped Puck.

Jesse put a six-pack on the floor and opened a can before sitting down on the bench with him. "I just thought my friend would like a beer, that's all" he said offering Puck the drink.

* * *

><p>You know what to do now; you have two options close the window right away or leave a comment before doing it! Please, please it only takes a few seconds I didn't give up on this story because I have a pretty amazing Beta Reader and because I always get awesome reviews so don't stop leaving one, those are the reasons why I'll keep updating every Monday!<p> 


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** I feel like I should be apologizing for the previous chapter, all of you wrote you were sad in your reviews, sorry but I'm sticking to canon I found it more fun and interesting!

I need to clear something I should have done chapters ago: There's no Finchel wedding or Quinn's car accident in this story, because no, it was the stupidest storyline of the whole show so far.

This chapter happens after **Yes/No** and does a time jump to **Choke**, I decided to do it because it would be too boring to write and read a chapter for each episode we didn't see Shelby, and also because we didn't have that much about Puck until the end of the season and it became helpful because it was easy to relate that with this fic.

Sorry for the lack of Shuck in this chapter but there's a reason for that, have faith in me it will turn out to be good at the end!

Thank you **BadassMotherShucker94** for helping me even though you were extremely tired, I hope it helped a little bit. Oh and you are my hero for sticking around, thought you should know that.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXI<strong>

After Shelby and Beth left for New York, she and Puck remained in contact in the beginning, but that only made everything harder and more painful for them. Eventually the work excuses started to appear with more frequency and the "I love you's" became silent. Everything returned to the basics; emails of Beth, and for Noah the hope of a reunion for graduation.

Days had passed, days became weeks and eventually everything turned back to normal. School started again and with the Holidays now behind them, the routine of McKinley was back on track.

For Puck the worst part was listening to everyone talking about their plans for the last months left of high school: Prom, senior skip day, Regionals, Nationals. All those ideas just seemed to pass around his head, because he didn't truly cared about any of it. Noah learned to pretend he was interested, just so he didn't have to listen to someone giving him a useless motivational speech. He also resigned from his job at Shelby's building; he would miss the pay of course, but working there knowing he wouldn't be able to go to see them after was pointless.

Without football he wasn't obligated to stay at school after classes unless Mr. Schue ordered the contrary. Noah somehow became invisible, and did his best to not catch anyone's attention.

The problem with Noah's plan was that eventually it was going to turn its back on him, and somebody would become worried about him. One afternoon Brittany and Santana skipped cheerleading practice and showed up at his front door. He was wearing sweatpants and an old P.E. T-shirt; Santana immediately thought about the episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S when Chandler was so depressed about a breakup that he didn't leave his house for days.

She sighed deeply; this was what she had been worried about ever since Puck and Shelby started to date. "We brought junk food and movies," she said.

He opened his mouth to protest but Brittany interrupted him. "We're here to start an intervention."

Puck rolled his eyes and let them in. They settled everything in the living room, and he grabbed a bag of chips and started to eat them. Santana gave him a worried look, but she tried to hide it the best way she could. She didn't want him to close himself off any more. Brittany was the first to join Puck on the couch. She rested her head on his shoulder, and a smile appeared on Noah's face, but that only lasted a few seconds and a frown replaced it.

"Oh no, I am not watching a chick's movie!" he protested.

"Is the best way of getting through this trust me," Santana assured him as she sat down on the other side of him.

He watched the movie and actually took the time to pay attention to the story, instead of just thinking about how hot the actress was. The movie was about a couple that actually started out as friends and how much they had changed over the years, but somehow they found a way to see each other on the anniversary of the day they met. Sometimes he was in a relationship, other times she was. One year he was broke, and a few later he started a small but successful cooking business. She became a teacher, but she also wrote a best seller. They were there for the other in the good and the bad moments and it took them twenty years to be officially together, but once they did it those were the best years of their lives.

Santana had chosen that movie on purpose to show him that just because he had said goodbye to Beth and Shelby for now, it didn't mean it was over for good.

"I missed them so much" he suddenly said during a scene of the main character with his daughter. Brittany pulled him into a hug; she was more comfortable consoling people than Santana was.

"We know you do, but you have to have to get yourself together. Shelby would hate to see you like this; you are not the Noah she felt in love with," Santana told him.

"You are more like a sad zombie," added Brittany, still hugging him.

"These are our last months together, after graduation everybody is heading to different places, nothing will ever be the same. You shouldn't miss it," stated Santana.

Puck nodded, felling bad for worrying his friends. He smiled sadly. "You guys are right, this is not me."

Santana stood up and put a second movie in the DVD player. "Don't think we're over with this intervention, you're letting everything out today, so tomorrow you can have a fresh start."

Noah wasn't going to admit it but he enjoyed the movies; he laughed during the funny parts and occasionally sniffed during some of the sad moments. He talked, a lot actually, he told them about when he said goodbye to his girls, and how he felt devastated. He mentioned Jesse, and explained how supportive he had been over the past weeks.

Santana and Brittany listened, and hardly talked, it was an unusual breakup and they didn't want to give him false hope, nevertheless crush him even more.

In the end it was Puck's decision he was at a crossroad, and he had two options: he could stay miserable, or he could find the strength to start over. He chose the second option because of what Santana had said to him; Shelby wouldn't let or want him to be in that state.

* * *

><p>February was about to end and Finn and the rest of the Glee kids, minus Puck because he was at his house talking with the San Jose State recruiter were having an emergency meeting in the choir room. "Well I think you all know why I organized this meeting?"<p>

Everyone stayed quiet with confused expressions.

"We all know that Puck has been a little down ever since Ms. Corcoran and Beth left Lima and I don't see the point of pretending we don't know about this, so if by this time you still haven't noticed it Puck and Shelby were together while she was here,"

A few of them turned their faces to see Rachel's hoping to see some kind of scene but the girl just shrugged and smile. "Yes everybody I knew about them and I was fine with it."

"The thing is!" continued Finn raising his voice a little, "I'm worried," he looked at his girlfriend, "We're worried because he stopped caring about his grades and we don't want him to lose his chance to graduate or his scholarship offer in California. I was thinking we could start our own study group, I could actually use some help too," he chuckled. "What do you say?"

"I could help with math and chemistry," offered Mike.

Finn smiled. "That would be great. Rachel, Kurt I know you guys are busy with your NYADA auditions but could you, I don't know, take turns to help us with English?"

"I don't see why we couldn't," replied Kurt before looking at his friend. "Rachel?"

"I promised my mom I wouldn't let Noah fail so I will help as much as I can," nodded Rachel.

Seeing all the excitement Finn's new idea had caused, and even though she wasn't pleased with the idea of helping Finn, she did want to help Puck, so Santana joined in "Count me in, I'll help with Spanish," she held Brittany's hand, "Besides Britt could use some help with her classes too."

"If there's anything left count me in too," said Quinn smiling. "I really did a lot of crap stuff to him when Shelby was here, this is the least I could do."

Finn nodded with pride. "It's a plan then, we're going to leave this place together, no one gets left behind!"

Meanwhile in the Puckerman household Chris was back in town to clarify some of the doubts Noah and his mother could have regarding the scholarship. To Deborah's surprise, for the first time in weeks her son was actually wearing a genuine smile on his face, and was truly interested in the conversation they were having. She couldn't be more relieved because for a while she thought Noah would be depressed until graduation.

"So tell me guys what questions do you have?" started Chris with a really enthusiastic tone.

"My main concern is what's going to happen with Noah if unfortunately he gets injured," asked Deborah.

Chris nodded. "That's what parents always ask me. If that happens we will still pay his tuition until he finishes his studies, but under the condition that he keeps the same GPA he would have if he was still playing."

Noah nervously ran his hands through his Mohawk. "Do you um, remember what I asked you over the phone the other day?"

Chris looked a little disappointed for a minute. "I do, but I need to know why are you so determined to leave California? You haven't even started to go there."

That question made Mrs. Puckerman give Noah a deathly stare; asking those types of things could make a recruiter feel very offended. "Let me guess, New York right?"

"He made it really clear," admitted Chris as he pulled a few pamphlets out of his briefcase. "We don't want to keep you in San Jose if that makes you unhappy, because eventually it will affect the way you play."

"However, switching schools sounds a lot easier than it actually is. You have to stay with us for at least a year before asking for a change and you can only go to a university with a team on the same division as the Spartans. Second, if you don't play with the us, San Jose State won't cover your tuition and the rest of the expenses of a full scholarship," he paused and handed the pamphlets to them. "And lastly if the coach of the team doesn't want you to leave, you can't do it unless you fail at your classes and we kick you out of the team, and with that record it would be hard for you to be accepted in other university."

Noah nodded with a defeated expression, as he looked at the information Chris had given him. "Then why are you giving me a pamphlet for the University of Syracuse?" he asked confused.

"Look Noah you're a good kid and you obviously have personal reasons for wanting to go to New York. Like I said, we don't want you to stay in San Jose if that makes you unhappy, so I would help you to write the letter to the NCAA and talk to the coach of the Spartans and of the Syracuse team," he gave Noah a serious look, whose face was starting to light up. "But only, and I mean only, if you keep good grades, good relationships with the team and the coach and if by the time the season is over you still want to go."

He nodded happily and shook Chris' hand. "I give you my word, that I'll do all that."

"But Noah I can't promise you that Syracuse will offer you a scholarship like we did, so think properly before rushing into decisions," explained Chris.

After Chris left Deborah sat down across from Noah and sighed, obviously worried. "I know these past few weeks have been hard for you, but I don't want you to waste a great opportunity you deserve."

"Mom, I understand, I really do but I love them, I need to be there for them."

She shook her head. "Noah right now, today you think that's what you need, but you don't know if you'll change your mind once you start college, you might get over her."

"I won't!" snapped Puck hitting the table. "You don't get it, you weren't there when I watched them leave," he lowered his gaze. "You didn't see Beth crying calling me, it broke my heart but it also made me see that even as little as she is she thought of me as her daddy. I don't want that to change, I don't want to be a stranger to her." He paused, "This is not only about Shelby because I know she might meet some other guy over there and forgets me, this is about my daughter."

Deborah didn't answer; she just kept looking at him proudly. "I promise I won't leave San Jose unless I have the same offer in New York, are you okay with that?"

She nodded. "It works for me."

* * *

><p>Shelby was looking at some photos she had just received on her cellphone. They were having a break during the rehearsals of the workshop and it was the perfect time to look at them. Unlike Noah she hadn't had the time to feel sad about their breakup. She focused all her attention on Beth and her new job, but even though that kept her mind really busy, they were moments when she missed him a lot. Especially at night after Beth was asleep, since those were their moments together when they could focus all their attention on the other.<p>

She missed the way he held her, and how he made her feel safe. She missed listening to him singing to Beth at night, she missed their Q&A game, everything seemed so lonely without Noah around, and she missed the little family they had.

Beth missed him too. Occasionally the little girl asked for her dadda, and although Noah had been calling her a few times per week, and even sang to her, it didn't seem to be enough for the toddler.

"Oh those are really cute pictures," commented Tom sitting down next to Shelby. "Who sent them, Rachel?"

Shelby nodded. "She doesn't want me to miss any important moments of her senior year."

He took a sip of his coffee and smiled. "They look like they're having fun," he looked at Noah in one of the pictures. "Even Noah, despite you know, everything."

"I'm glad he's having fun, he deserves to," she admitted sadly.

Tom reached out for her hand. "Hey, I'm pretty sure he misses you everyday but if he has people as pushy as Rachel around I doubt they let them be depressed all the time."

Shelby laughed and kept passing the pictures on her screen. Julia stopped behind them and looked at the phone: it was a picture of Rachel helping to paint some of the things for their senior prom. "Wow are we that close to prom? Leo hasn't mentioned anything."

"It's still a couple of weeks from now, but I think Rachel is giving us the inside scoops," explained Tom. "So are they doing a dinosaur theme prom? That's unusual."

Shelby smiled at the image of Noah looking handsome wearing a suit and a tie. "What can I say; the senior class president is something special." She looked at her screen and realized she had a text from her daughter:

"_He misses you, but he's working hard to pass all his finals. Don't worry we're not letting him have any time to be sad while he's with us. I think I finally have the perfect song for my audition I'll call you tonight to tell you everything! Say hi to Tom and Julia for me!"_

Later in the night as she expected Shelby received a call from Rachel. "You're a little later tonight Rach," said Shelby, looking at her clock on the nightstand.

"My night routine took me a little longer tonight," explained Rachel. "How are you today?" Ever since Shelby had left Rachel constantly asked her how she was; she was worried her mom could be working too much just because she didn't want to talk about how she felt.

"I'm okay, the exact same as two days ago when we last talked, you're worrying too much," replied Shelby.

"I'm worrying enough mom, I've seen Noah, he's better now, but he needed an intervention to get there, and sometimes he still looks sad," refuted Rachel.

"I don't have the time to cry about what happened," stated Shelby. "I miss him, yes, but I need to stay focused, now tell me about your audition."

* * *

><p>Noah started to get into the rhythm of school again. He still missed Shelby and Beth, but he understood that looking miserable wasn't going to make them return, but graduating will. So he focused his attention on the new study group Finn and the others created and studied, made his assignments and began to pass his tests. He was feeling happy and proud of himself, but somehow he could sense everything was too good to be true, he was actually waiting for a moment when everything would be fucked up again, and it happened.<p>

One afternoon he was heading home early from school, as soon as he arrived he spotted Hannah sitting down at the entrance. She looked sad, but mostly scared. Puck walked up to her and sat down by her side.

"Hey Han, did you forget your keys again?" he asked smiling.

She looked at him straight in the eyes. "He's here."

Noah sighed deeply and clenched his hands into fists. He turned to face his sister and gave her a comforting smile. "Please control yourself, I don't want you to get in serious trouble," pleaded Hannah.

He got up and squeezed her shoulder. "I won't do anything crazy," he promised. "But stay outside, you don't need to hear what I'm going to say."

Inside Noah walked into the kitchen and saw his mom talking to his father. He looked the same maybe just a little bit older, and it made sense since it had been about ten years since the last time Noah saw him. Deborah, despite looking obviously upset, seemed calm, but Noah wasn't. He entered to the room and didn't even bother to sit down.

"Why are you here?" he asked trying really hard not to yell.

His father analyzed how Noah looked, and immediately saw that he had change; he wasn't the same kid he left years before. "You look good."

"I know, mom did a great job raising us," he affirmed, which caused Deborah to smile.

"Matt just needs some help kiddo, that's all," explained Deborah with a calm tone.

Noah laughed sarcastically. "Well I'm sorry but he wasn't here when we needed him, he doesn't deserve our help."

"I know that, trust me this is not easy for me either," admitted Matt ashamed.

Noah grunted and rolled his eyes; he just wanted the guy to leave his house. "Look man how much money do you need?"

"How much can you lend me?"

Noah laughed again as he made his way to his bedroom and grabbed his year's saving, which he had been planning to use to go and see Beth and Shelby over the summer. "Here's a little bit more than 500 bucks," he said throwing the pack of money on the table.

"Noah don't," ordered Deborah, but he stopped her.

"It's okay he can have it, unlike him I don't let my family down," stated Noah.

Matthew picked up the money and stowed it away in his jacket. "Thanks Noah, I will come back and pay you."

"Don't lie to us, we know you won't return," snapped Puck.

Matt got up from the table and started to leave but Noah called him back one last time. "You know? I'm glad you decided to show up today, because I can tell you something now," he smiled. "I'm not going to be like you, I'm going to graduate from High School, and go to college. Actually, I have a football scholarship, but the most important thing is I will always be around for my daughter and her mom."

"I'm proud to hear that in a way, I actually kinda helped you realized that by not being here," said Matt as he walked to the front door.

"Use the back door, I don't want Hannah to see you leave again, it's enough for me and mom," ordered Noah.

As soon as Noah and his mother were alone again he spoke one more time:

"I have to go to school, Rachel's audition is in a while and I want to film it for Shelby. I just came to eat something, but I lost my appetite, will you be okay if I leave for a while?"

She nodded. "Of course I will, go and show Rachel your support."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm proud of you Noah," she told him.

"Mom!" he whined before running outside smiling.

* * *

><p>"Rachel calm down, you've been practicing this song since you were 3, you know it and there's nothing to be afraid of," Shelby assured her daughter.<p>

"What if I forget the lyrics? Or even worse what if I choke?" she continued panicking.

"Honey, breathe," ordered Shelby, feeling bad she couldn't be there to help her in person. "Nothing bad will happen, you are my daughter, and you have my talent and determination. If you believe in yourself half as much as me and everyone else out there does then you'll be fine."

Rachel didn't answer, she kept gasping for air attempting to compose herself. "You've sung in front of crowds of people before, this is nothing compared to that."

Rachel nodded. "Yes, you're right mom, I can do this. Thank you, I love you mom."

"I love you more sweetie, everything will be fine now go and call me as soon as you can," begged Shelby.

When Puck arrived at the auditorium he spotted a familiar head in one of the seats. He approached him and smiled, a little surprised. "What are you doing here?" whispered Noah.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," replied Jesse, smiling. He laughed and realized Noah brought a camera too. "Great minds think alike," he commented showing his camera.

Puck chuckled and sat down next to him. He noticed how Jesse looked nervous, like it was him who was about to audition, which made Noah wonder.

"Jesse, do you still…?" he began, but didn't get the chance to finish his question because Rachel came out to the stage.

Jesse's face lit up and he shushed Noah. "It's about to start, stay quiet."

Shelby was having a coffee with her co-workers when her cellphone started to buzz. She looked at the screen confused. "I just received a video," she said.

When she hit played her eyes widened; it was Noah and Jesse. They were smiling madly. "Hey we shouldn't be filming this but what the hell you deserve to watch it too!" said Jesse as he focused the camera on the stage where Rachel was standing.

"My name is Rachel Berry and I'm going to sing _Don't Rain On My Parade_ from my favorite musical Funny Girl."

Shelby felt tears forming in her eyes as she watched how her daughter killed her audition. She was singing with all the passion she had, and it reminded Shelby of herself when she was younger. She laughed when she saw Noah and Jesse doing a high five and giving her a thumbs up through the camera.

"What a voice!" commented Tom.

"I know, we'll be casting her in no time," added Julia smirking.

Derek, the director of the play, shrugged. "She still needs some polish though, but she's definitely a star."

Shelby wiped some happy tears from her eyes and watched the end of the audition.

"That was truly impressive Miss Berry." She looked down at the phone and saw Rachel and Kurt, standing on the stage, holding hands. "I have a really hard decision to make, those were two very different, but also very powerful auditions, you should be proud of yourselves," stated Carmen Tibideaux.

As the video ended, Shelby grabbed her phone and called her daughter, who immediately answered.

"I did it! It was perfect mom you would have been so proud," shrieked Rachel, the adrenaline obviously still pumping.

Shelby smiled. "I knew you could do it, you are a real star."

"We still don't know who'll be accepted though," continued Rachel.

"That's why you have your backup options, the important thing is that you did your best in your audition, whatever happens next is out of your hands," reminded Shelby with a comforting tone; she knew Rachel would get into NYADA, but she didn't want the girl to be too confident.

Rachel finished the call quickly. She assured her mother they would talk later but she was going to celebrate with her friends. Shelby took the time to make a second call, she hesitated for a second before dialing but she wanted to hear his voice.

"Hey," answered Noah smiling slightly.

Shelby ran her hands through her hair, feeling happy to hear his voice again.

"Thanks for the video."

"No problem, we knew you'd enjoy it," he laughed. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just miss you," she admitted sadly.

Noah adjusted himself in the auditorium chair. "I'm here let's talk just like we used to, tell me how's your new job treating you, and should I be worried about any guys?"

* * *

><p>Hope you liked my version of Choke, it was the episode when I thought we needed Shelby the most!<p>

Please, please leave reviews, it only takes a few seconds and it'll mean the world to me!

Next Chapter you'll see more Shelby/Rachel interactions and a little bit of Shuck before their reunion for graduation!

Take care, and have a nice week!


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's note: **I'm back! Sorry for not updating last week but I wasn't sure if this chapter was good enough, so I spend my free time reading it and deciding if I should update it or not, but well here it is.

Sorry for the lack of Shuck this week, but I really needed to write a closure for Puck and the other characters of this fic, especially because the one we had in "Goodbye" was awful. I promise next chapter will have tons of Puck and Shelby moments.

I haven't ask for this for while, but if you guys want something in particular to happen, or have any suggestion feel free to leave them in your reviews! I'll appreciate it

Thank so much for finding the missing piece of this chapter **BadassMotherShucker94** I wouldn't expect less from the best Beta Reader ever!

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><p><strong>Chapter XXII<strong>

Everyone was happy that Quinn was back to being like her old self. It had taken her a while but by the end of the school year she was as happy as the rest of the other seniors at McKinley. She was back in the Cheerios and she was going to start Yale next fall. Finally everything was going right for the young girl. But what Quinn had never told anyone was how horrible she felt about all the things she had done and said to Shelby while she was in Lima. She couldn't believe she almost put her daughter's well in danger without even hesitating for a second. That's why, after Sectionals she decided it was time to ask for help, and her mother send her to a therapist. The doctor advised Quinn to apologize to Shelby and she did; Quinn called her a few days after she and Beth had left for New York.

Shelby forgave her, understanding the young girl was just going through a bad phase in her life. She assured Quinn she didn't have any hard feelings against her and she even told her she could visit Beth once she started college next fall, since New Heaven was closer to New York than Lima.

Quinn was also aware that she hadn't been the greatest person to Noah. They had always had a very tense relationship; they never actually had the chance to become friends, she just cheated on Finn with him, and then she got pregnant. Despite that Puck had shown her how much he had grown, and she felt bad it took her almost the whole school year to realize it. Quinn wanted to give him something else besides a simple "I'm sorry." Because she knew actions speak louder than words.

After all the drama that occurred between Quinn and Shelby, Puck thought he wouldn't talk to her again, so he was extremely surprised when Quinn invited him over to her house. At first he wanted to reject the offer because he was afraid she might have the same intentions as the last time he was over there. But Quinn proved how wrong he was once they started to study. It was the first time Puck had been in the Fabray's home and not wound up making out with the youngest daughter of the family.

"I know you're tired, but after this test everything will be over," started Quinn, laughing.

He groaned and dropped his face into the notebook he was reading. "I've reached my limit. I don't think I can fit any more information into my brain, I'm stuffed."

"It's European Geography. C'mon Puck, it's the silliest subject of all, at least study just to laugh at the teacher's face once she gives you your passing grade."

He smiled and continued to read her notes. "Quinn?" he said suddenly.

She lifted her face from her own book and locked eyes with him. "Yeah?"

Puck hesitated for a few seconds before asking. "Why are you helping me? I thought you hated me for sabotaging your plan to get Beth back."

Quinn sighed deeply as she closed her book. "Because I'm sorry Puck, I'm sorry for treating you like trash all this time. I never took you seriously, and you didn't deserve that."

"I haven't exactly been prince charming to you either Q," he pointed out, sitting next to her on the bed. "I think we've made the same mistakes."

"Even though I did consider letting Finn be Beth's father at first, I'm glad you went ape shit over that and the truth was revealed," she laughed and before lowering her eyes and staring at her shoes. "If I had stayed with Finn we probably would have kept Beth and God knows where I'd be right now. Somehow thanks to you we're both leaving this place"

Puck laughed. "I never saw it like that."

"That's what happens when you go to therapy," she joked. "It helps you to realize some things," she turned to face him before continuing. "Everyone talks about staying in touch after graduation, I know some of us will, and there will be others we'll only see at a random wedding or even worse in a supermarket when we go out to shop, but I know that you and I will always stay in touch even if we don't see each other for years."

"We have Beth," he stated smiling with pride.

Quinn nodded. "I'm happy you're Beth's daddy," she chuckled. "And I'm proud of all the decisions we've made so far; I know in a few years I'm going to run into you and you'll be a successful and wonderful father not a Lima loser at all."

Puck grinned as he imagined what Quinn had just said. "And you'll be as successful and happy as me."

She gave him a smile and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Noah."

"I love you too Quinn."

* * *

><p>A few days later Finn found Puck sitting by himself at one of the tables of the courtyard. He was staring at a piece of paper with serious look on his face. Finn approached him quietly and sat down in front of him. "Hey man what's up?"<p>

Puck shrugged. "Not much. Just here, looking at my European Geography grade," he explained as he passed the test to his friend

Finn's eyes widened as he say the red grade. "B-! You got a B- we are graduating!" he yelled excitedly. "You scared me for a second I thought you had failed."

Noah laughed. "Sorry, it's just that this is real now, you know? We are actually leaving this place," he paused. "What are you going to do? Are you still going with Rachel to New York? I'm such a moron I've been all down on myself and stuff and I didn't even ask you about your plans."

"It's okay," assured Finn his friend, smiling. "You actually know about my plans, we've talked about them since we were 13."

Puck remained silent for a few minutes, remembering; they had talked about lots of ideas through the years, from starting a band to opening their own sports bar. Then he remembered, and stared at Finn in shock. "Wait, the army?"

"Yeah," answered Finn simply.

"But wait, what does this mean? What's going to happen between you and Rachel?" continued Noah still surprised by the news.

"We've been talking about this for a while now. I told her New York is not the place for me, at least not yet. I didn't even apply to any schools there. I did apply for a few here and I actually got into Ohio State, but you know how I feel about joining the army."

"You've always wanted to go," stated Noah.

"Rachel and I decided not to talk about us, until it's time for one of us to actually leave."

Puck buried his face in his hands for a moment as he kept listening to his friend.

"I love Rachel but I have my own dreams to pursue. I will always love her, she's my first love and if it's meant to be, it's going to happen, but if it doesn't I just want her to be happy."

"I should be going with you, we talked about this," said Puck sadly.

But Finn just shook his head. "No, you shouldn't, you want a family," he smiled. "With Shelby and Beth, that's what you want to do."

"Finn," began Noah with a serious tone. "You have to promise me that if they send you away, you won't try to save someone. Don't be a hero, don't be you. If something happens just run and save your ass," he pleaded. "I want Beth to grow up and look forward to her Uncle Finn coming home and visiting her."

Finn nodded, grinning greatly at being called 'Uncle Finn.' "Only if you promise me to keep an eye on Rachel," he said, his smile faltering slightly and his tone becoming more serious.

Puck stared at him, confused for a moment. "Why don't you ask Kurt to do that? He'll be closer to her than me."

"Cause you're my best friend, and you'll be more protective of her than Kurt," stated Finn**. **"Besides, she's part of your family now, being Shelby's other daughter," he continued cheekily.

"You have my word," promised Noah as they did a fist bump. "Now what?"

Finn shrugged and got up from the table. "Now we have Nationals to win!"

* * *

><p>"Come here Bee!" said a teenager boy. He had brown hair and the toddler was happily chasing him all over the place; it was Leo, Julia's son.<p>

Shelby watched how her daughter interacted with him, and couldn't help but feel relieved. "Thanks for inviting us over," she said to her friend who was sitting down next to her.

"You know Leo loves Beth, and I could use some company besides my teenage son for a change," replied Julia, smiling as she watched them interact.

Shelby laughed at the comment as she fixed some of her hair behind her ears. "Are you excited about Rachel's graduation? It's hard to believe you're heading back to Ohio for that, time is flying!"

"Tell me about it, I still can't believe Beth is turning two in a few weeks."

"Are you going to be in Lima for her birthday?" asked Julia. "It would make sense if you want Noah to be around for that."

"I haven't decided anything yet, I don't want her to suffer like the last time she said goodbye to him," admitted Shelby.

Julia gave her a skeptical look; she knew she wasn't only talking about the little girl. "Are you sure you're only saying that because of Beth?"

Shelby sighed unsure of what she was feeling; she was happy because she was going to see Noah graduating from High School, but she wasn't sure how they were to act around the other, especially since none of their plans for the upcoming future had changed. She would have to return and keep working in the production of "Bombshell" and San Jose State was waiting for Noah in August.

She wasn't going to admit it, because it would hurt her, but a part of her wished Noah would start a dating someone his own age after she had left, but he didn't; Rachel had made that very clear. Shelby had smiled when she received a video of McKinley's senior prom which Rachel had sent to her, and as she expected Noah looked incredibly handsome wearing a suit. Her surprise was the date he had; he went to Prom with Becky Jackson. Noah, who could easily take any girl in the school, choose Becky, and they seemed to have a lot of fun, especially after she won Prom Queen, something Rachel, Santana and Quinn arranged, and the guys of New Directions sang "What Makes You Beautiful" to her.

"Shelby," said Julia.

No response.

"Shelby!" she repeated finally distracting her friend from her thoughts. "Your phone is ringing, it's Rachel."

"Hi honey," answered Shelby smiling, but she changed her expression when she heard some sniffles on the other line

"Mom, when are you coming back?"

"What's going on Rachel, I'm worrying. Is this about NYADA?"

Rachel shook her head and wiped some tears of her eyes. "No, I'm expecting my letter this week. I just have a problem and I need you here."

"You can tell me now," Shelby assured her daughter with a comforting tone.

"I'd rather wait until you are here, if that's okay," replied Rachel.

Shelby nodded. "Sure, I'll be there by the time you return from Chicago," she promised.

"Okay, I'll see you in a few days then, I love you, sorry if I scared you," and with that the phone call was over.

Shelby dropped herself onto Julia's couch and gave her a worried look. "What happened?" asked Julia

"I don't know, she wants to tell me when I'm there," Shelby replied before sighing deeply.

Julia hugged her from the shoulders. "Don't worry I'm sure everything is going to be alright."

* * *

><p>There's no way to have a perfect senior year in high school. No matter how hard you try and plan, there's always some drama and fights, but there's also lots of laughter and happy tears as the end approaches. After three years of constant defeats New Directions won the National show choir competition, and that victory made their journey over the past three years look shorter somehow.<p>

Jesse waited until the team started to exit the auditorium before congratulating them; he shared a handshake with Finn and William, and hugged Puck and Rachel. He didn't like to lose, but this time he actually felt happy for the winning team.

Back in Ohio Rachel arrived at the hotel address Shelby had given to her a few days before. As soon as Shelby opened the door Rachel threw herself into her mother's arms looking for some comfort.

"Honey what's going on I've been so worried," said Shelby guiding her to the bed.

Rachel smiled for a second looking at Beth. "She's so big."

Beth walked closer to Rachel and asked to be picked up. Rachel adjusted her little sister on the bed and played with her for a few minutes. She stared at her mother and noticed how she was waiting for her to say something. "It's Finn," she paused and looked at Shelby. "He's going to the army."

Shelby closed her eyes and sighed a little, relief washing over her; she thought something had happened to Rachel. "And you're scared that something bad might happen to him?"

The girl nodded and let some tears escape from her eyes. She sniffed a little before explaining the situation. "I'm trying to be supportive for him but it's so hard, I don't want him to get hurt or worse."

"What did he say to you?" asked Shelby.

"He says he wants me to be happy and that he doesn't want to be the reason why I held my dreams back."

Shelby nodded. "Is joining army something he always wanted to do?"

"Yes, but I thought he would change his mind, especially since he kept saying he was going to New York with me."

Shelby got up and poured a glass of water for Rachel. She waited until she had taken a few sips before speaking again. "Maybe Finn didn't want to hurt you by saying he didn't want to go with you," she paused and let Rachel sob in her shoulders. "I know it hurts you, and I know how scared you are, but you need to have faith that nothing will happen to him, and that he'll be back."

Rachel hugged her mother tightly and Shelby just let her cry as she rubbed circles on her back. "I know honey, love sucks."

"Does Noah know you are here?" asked Rachel after a few minutes of silence.

Shelby shook her head blushing slightly. "I want to surprise him."

That answer made Rachel smiled. "I'm sure he will be."

* * *

><p>The seniors of New Directions were gathering in the choir room. They all grabbed a chair and settled them in a circle. Each one of them was holding a little package in their hands. Finn went to the center and smiled.<p>

"After today, when we return to this school it's going to be for graduation, and we'll never see this choir room the same way again," he pulled out a few t-shirts that said U.S. Army out of his package and handle to them, "But wherever I go I'll remember the days we spent here."

Rachel and Kurt were next. They gave each of their friends a teddy bear wearing a NYADA t-shirt. Rachel laughed nervously before starting to talk. "I always thought I'd leave McKinley without any friends, but you guys accepted me, and what's more impressive, you managed to bare me for the last three years. I honestly can't thank you all enough."

Kurt looked at her and squeezed her right hand. "I always hated stereotypes but the funny thing is that I had one for each of you; the silly jock, or the dumb cheerleader, but you showed that you are all more than that. Thank you for letting me understand that I'll always find a place where I'll be accepted."

Quinn gave them Yale stickers. "I know I haven't been the most stable person here, but you never left my side," she chuckled. "Even when I didn't want you there, you always were. You are my family and I'll miss seeing you every day."

Santana and Brittany followed her; they placed buttons of Columbia and the New York Dance studio into the shirts of their friends. "I may be rude, and I might insult you with frequency, but you have a spot in my heart and I'll miss you," said Santana with sadness.

"You always laughed with me, instead of laughing at me, and you stuck with me, and I know that's hard cause I don't make sense most of the time," Brittany said as she walked around the circle and gave each member a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

Puck stood up and scratched the back of his neck before showing his friends the gift he had brought; Spartans key chains. "Sometimes I slushied you," he looked at Kurt, "I even threw you in the dumpster. But you still welcomed me here, and helped me every time I needed it, I found my bests friends here, and I can't thank you guys enough for that," he said sincerely.

Mercedes and Mike were the last ones. They gave rubber bracelets of UCLA and the academy of Dance in Chicago. Mercedes cleared her throat before speaking. "I think everything has been said, I'll miss you so much, I doubt I'll find another Rachel Berry in California and I'm thankful for that, we already have more than we need."

Everybody laughed.

"I wouldn't be dancing if I hadn't joined New Directions. I even learned to sing, so I'll always be thankful for that. You also showed me that it's okay to have some talent aside from intelligence and good grades," added Mike.

They all shared one big group hug, with some of them crying as they laughed sadly. They walked together to the parking lot, said their goodbyes and each person then headed home.

Puck arrived at his home around the end of the afternoon. "I'm here, sorry it took me so long, after the meeting with the guys in the choir room I couldn't find a cap that could fit my Mohawk," he yelled as he entered the house. He could hear his mother and Hannah laughing but there was another voice, it was a giggle actually. He recognized it immediately and ran into the living room smiling like a goof. "Beth?" he said.

The little girl run to him and hugged his legs. "Dadda!"

Noah picked her up and placed kisses all over her face. "I missed you so much," he said, nuzzling his nose into her head. He looked around the room and spotted Shelby standing looking at him with a smile on her face. He left Beth playing on the floor and walked over to her. Noah grabbed her right hand and intertwined their fingers.

He didn't care that his mom and his sister were there; he missed her so much he needed to be sure that she was actually there, and he wasn't going to wake up drooling on a notebook at any minute. Noah pulled her closer by the waist and kissed her.

Shelby for a second felt embarrassed, but it didn't last long. She returned the kiss happily, knowing he had missed her as much as she had missed him. She pulled apart after a couple of minutes and hugged him. "You came back," said Noah enjoying the scent of her perfume.

"Well, I wasn't going to watch you graduating in a video," she joked wrapping her arms around his neck.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading, please, leave reviews! It only takes a few minutes to write one. Have a nice start of the week and until the next update =)<p> 


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: **Hello! I'm back, here's chapter 23, and I just wanted to thank you for reading my little one-shot I posted last week. In case I don't update this fic next week I'll be posting another one-shot instead, because I received some very good suggestions and I can't wait to write something around that. But for now enjoy Shuck graduation!

My Mondays wouldn't be the same without updating, and that would never happen if I didn't have the wonderful help of my talented Beta Reader **BaddassMotherShucker94**, thank you.

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><p><strong>Chapter XXIII<strong>

Shelby and Noah were taking a walk around a Mall in Lima, after Deborah had insisted that they should spend some time by themselves so they could catch up. He couldn't express how happy he was with Shelby and Beth being back in Lima, even if it was for a couple of weeks and Puck could feel that his graduation was going to be absolutely perfect. Shelby noticed how he was a little distracted and squeezed his hand to get his attention.

"You've been really quiet," she told him.

He shrugged and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, I'm just thinking."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

Puck shook his head still smiling. "I'm just thinking about how happy I am because you and Beth are here," he paused and took a deep breath. "You wanna get a cup of coffee or something?"

Shelby nodded and they entered a little coffee shop not so far from where they were walking. Noah bought some drinks and brought them over to their table where Shelby was waiting for him.

"I want to know about how your job is going, tell me everything!" he started excitedly as he sat down next to her.

She pulled her cellphone from her purse, and showed him some pictures. "This is the ensemble of the musical." She pointed at one of the girls, "That's Karen, she's the understudy for Marilyn."

Noah's eyes widened at the image of the brunette. "She's pretty," he commented.

"And very talented," added Shelby before changing the photo. "These are my co-workers."

"Who's this guy?" asked Puck resting his finger on the face of a man. He looked around Shelby's age, probably a little bit older and he had dark hair, with a few gray ones.

Shelby's lips quivered into a smile, at the hint of jealousy in his voice. "That's Derek, he's the director of the musical," she explained, hiding her amusement.

"I don't like him," he continued.

Shelby started to laugh; she couldn't believe Noah was acting like a jealous boyfriend. "Listen," she kissed him on the cheek. "Nothing happened between me and Derek."

He smiled and grabbed her right hand. "I missed you."

"I missed you too; now tell me about your lasts months did anything interesting happen?"

He pursued his lips remembering; he imagined Shelby would like to know about it, so he decided to tell her. "My dad stopped by my house a few weeks ago."

Shelby stopped drinking her coffee and gave him a concerned look. "And what happened?"

"He needed money to pay rent, and he went to ask my mom for some, but I didn't let her give him her money. So I gave him my savings instead," he sighed. "The bad thing is that I was saving that for visiting you and Beth over the summer," he explained sadly.

"I'm sorry," she said with a soft voice.

"Don't be Shel, I mean yeah I will miss the money but I realized that I'm not like him, and you know why?"

She gave him a quizzical look. "Tell me."

"It's because of you and Beth," he stated with pride. "You two are the best part of me. I don't know where I'd be if you two never came back here in the first place, would I be even graduating? Or going to college? I doubt it; I needed a push to feel confident about myself and you gave it to me"

Shelby ignored the strange looks a few costumers were giving them and leaned forward to kiss him. "You have no idea how happy that makes me, you are wonderful. I always knew that about you, since the first day I met you, and the fact that you are seeing it now for yourself now makes me incredible happy."

* * *

><p>A few days later Puck was in his living room trying to fix his tie. His mother had been watching him for the past minutes and couldn't help but laugh at her son's clumsiness. "Need help kiddo?"<p>

He grunted and bowed his head. "How long have you been here?"

Deborah laughed as she over walked to him. "Long enough." She started to fix his tie. "Nervous?"

Puck shrugged. "Why should I be?"

"It's an important day for you, plus Shelby is here," she smirked.

He swallowed hard and smiled shyly. "Okay, I might be a little nervous now."

Deborah cupped his face in her hands. "Just have fun, okay? We're having lunch after that, and later we're joining the Hudson/Hummel family for dessert at a restaurant. Would you like to invite Shelby?"

"She's having lunch with Rachel and the Berry's," he explained.

Mrs. Puckerman nodded. "Well maybe they'll be there at the restaurant for dessert too."

"I hope so," admitted Noah smiling excitedly. "Mom? Would you help with one other thing before we head to the restaurant with the others?"

McKinley's auditorium was filled with people that morning, but of course all the attention was centered on the seniors. Shelby spotted Deborah and Hannah sitting with who she assumed were Santana's parents. She approached them and hugged Noah's family before taking her own seat where Rachel's dads were waiting for her.

The ceremony began with a few words from Principal Figgin's followed by Quinn, who was the valedictorian. Shelby smiled with joy; the Quinn she encountered at the beginning of the school year was now gone, and the new one was exactly who Shelby had known Quinn could be. She laughed when the Glee clubbers and the cheerios started to yell, "We love you Quinn!" in the middle of her speech.

After that the seniors started to walk onto the stage to get their diplomas. Shelby, Leroy and Hiram got up and cheered when Rachel was on the stage, the girl smiled at her family; she couldn't have been any happier as she waved at them before blowing them a kiss.

When it was Noah's turn Shelby expected to see him doing some random stunt, but he just walked over to Figgin's and shook his hand as he received his diploma. She could see how proud he was of himself, and how he was savoring his personal moment. He nodded to where his mother and sister were sitting and mouthed them a "For you" as he pointed to his diploma, and just before he walked downstairs he looked at her and his baby girl and formed a heart shape with his hands as he mouthed an "I love you."

Soon after that the room was filled with red caps flying all over the place and all the seniors hurrying around saying their last goodbyes to their teachers and classmates. After taking her own pictures with Rachel, Shelby finally found Noah taking some pictures with Santana.

"Noé, I'm so proud of you," shrieked Mrs. Lopez as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Mom stop you're embarrassing him!" protested Santana.

Shelby laughed at the picture before walking towards him and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey!" he yelled excitedly.

She hugged him tightly. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," he replied as he pulled separated himself from her and kneeled down in front of Beth, who was in her stroller. He kissed her on the nose and looked up at Shelby. "Would you mind waiting here for just a second? Quinn is looking for you I'm going to tell her you're here."

A few minutes later he returned with Quinn and her family. She smiled shyly at Shelby and walked towards her to give her a hug. "Congratulations Quinn, you gave a beautiful speech."

"Thank you," she paused and looked at her family. "Puck and I were wondering if it was ok for us to take a couple of pictures with Beth?"

Shelby nodded. "Of course it is, that's why we're here."

Noah picked up Beth and placed her on his hip. His mother took a picture of him and Beth alone first before heading off to find Burt, then Judy did the same with Quinn, and lastly both of them took a picture of the three together. Quinn waited until Shelby had placed Beth back in her stroller before speaking again.

"We want to give this to Beth and you," she said as she handed her a pair of graduation tassels. "That way, as Beth grows up you and maybe Noah can tell her about our graduation."

Shelby smiled at the gift. "Thank you," she looked at Noah, "To the both of you, maybe in a few years we can add a Yale and a San Jose tassel to this pair."

Quinn gave Shelby one last hug, and she kissed Beth's forehead. "I love you, and I'll be visiting you very soon," she promised before disappearing into the red crowd.

Deborah re-joined them. "Noah, Burt's taking a family picture of us."

He rolled his eyes, and sighed; he was getting tired of taking pictures. He gave Shelby another kiss and intertwined their fingers before following his mother.

Deborah made Noah stand next to Hannah and she was in the middle of them "No funny faces please, that's for both of you!" she ordered, "I want a normal picture for a change."

Burt chuckled before hitting the button. "Looks good," he commented as he looked at it.

Deborah smiled. "Wonderful, we need a picture of the whole family now," she paused. "Shelby would you and Beth join us?"

Shelby stared at her shocked for a few seconds, before picking up her daughter and joining them taking a place next to Noah, who was looking at his mother with a mixture of happiness and gratitude.

Burt smiled again and took the picture, and finally Deborah took one last one but this time was just Puck with Shelby and Beth. They looked so happy it brought tears to Mrs. Puckerman's eyes.

"I should be starting to look for Rachel and her father's now," said Shelby. "I've tried to call her but I haven't had any luck reaching her."

"You'll have better luck walking around here, than calling her, believe me," joked Noah. "I'll see you later?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry I'm not going with you and your family."

"It's fine Shel, really, Rachel deserves to spend this day with you too. I'll stop by the hotel tonight," he assured her.

"Don't you have a party or something? I want you to go," she demanded with a stern tone.

"Relax, nobody has told me anything," he explained before kissing her. "If I don't have a party can I come over and be with you?" he asked making his puppy eye look.

"Yes, now go and take more pictures, we'll see you later," smiled Shelby.

* * *

><p>Later that day The Puckerman family joined the HudsonHummel family and the Berry's for dessert at a restaurant and everyone's jaws dropped when they saw Puck. "Yeah, yeah the Mohawk is gone!" he teased.

"And I think we couldn't be happier about that," commented Deborah sitting next to Carole.

Noah looked around searching for a table, and Finn indicated to him that he had left an empty chair next to Shelby for him. "Thanks man," he said to Finn as they did a fist bump.

He sat down quietly next to her, and tried to ignore how she analyzed his new look. "You like it?"

She took a sip of her drink before answering. "I think you look very handsome," she grinned.

Puck grabbed her hand and kissed it before intertwined their fingers. Leroy and Hiram gave them an odd look, but Rachel nudged them, looking upset. "Don't be rude, you don't like it when people stare at you either!" she whispered.

Everyone kept talking and laughing for a while, remembering the funniest moments of their high school experience. Shelby smacked Noah when Rachel told how he used to slushy her, but she also mentioned how considerate he was because he always slushied her with her favorite drink.

Shelby looked at Noah, and she couldn't believe how much he had changed in three years. He wasn't the same bully and arrogant jock Rachel had described. He was a loving and caring father, and good friend and being part of that change is something she'll always remember.

"Dadda!" huffed Beth rubbing her eyes.

Puck picked her up from her high chair and sat her on his lap. "What is it Monkey Face? Are you tired?"

The little girl adjusted herself on his chest and buried her face there. "I think we should go," he said to Shelby quietly.

"You don't have to come, you can stay with them, it's your day," she reminded him smiling.

"I want to come, I brought my car and my mom brought hers so she and Hannah can leave whenever they want," explained Noah.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Definitely," he stated.

Noah got up with Beth resting her head on his shoulder. "We're gonna take Beth back to the hotel, it's been a long day for her. This has been great though, thanks a lot."

"Remember we've got that party at Brittany's house tomorrow," said Finn.

"I'll be there don't worry," Puck assured his best friend.

Shelby gave Rachel a kiss. "I'm proud of you sweetie," she whispered into her ear.

"Thank you mom, and thank you for coming," replied Rachel, smiling.

Noah waited until Shelby had finished saying goodbye, before leaving the restaurant. His mother smiled at the image of him holding Beth and rubbing Shelby's back with his free hand as they reached the door. They truly looked like a happy little family and she couldn't be more proud of that.

At the hotel Shelby gave Beth a quick bath and dressed her in her pajamas. Noah took a quick shower and got changed. When he walked into the bedroom he found an almost sleeping Beth lying next to Shelby who was rubbing circles on the toddler's back. He carefully joined them on the bed, wrapped his arm around Shelby's waist and kissed the back of her neck.

She pulled his arm closer as she enjoyed the familiar sensation. "I missed this," she mumbled.

"Me too," he replied simply.

Shelby sighed deeply. "I'm worried about Rachel."

Puck closed his eyes; he knew why she was bringing that subject up. "I know you are, but Finn made his choice."

"I can't even imagine how Rachel is feeling or Carole," she continued with sadness in her voice. "They must be so scared."

"Well, luckily you don't have to know how Rachel is feeling," he commented.

Shelby raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Puck got up and tucked Beth in her little traveling crib. He kissed her on the forehead and joined Shelby again, but this time he sat down in front of her and hugged her by the waist. "If I wasn't going to San Jose, I think I would be probably going with Finn."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I could see myself there, I didn't consider the option of going to college until a few months ago. And I didn't want to stay here in Lima and be a waiter at Breadstix forever. Going to the army seemed like a good option for me."

Shelby stayed quiet imagining Noah being sent away and getting hurt or killed. She knew it wasn't going to happen but just picturing it was terrible, she couldn't even imagine telling Beth awful news like that.

Puck pulled her closer and rubbed her arms. "Hey, are you okay? You haven't said anything in a few minutes."

"I just imagined you, away and just thinking something terrible could happen to you was heartbreaking, especially for Beth," she explained.

"Shel…" he started as he pulled her closer. "Don't imagine stuff like that, cause they are not going to happen okay? After having you both here, and being so close to you, I can't think of going to a place as far as Iraq or Afghanistan, going to California already looks painful."

He kissed the top of her head. "But you have to admit something; I'd look extremely hot wearing an army uniform."

She burst into laughter and nodded. "You would Noah, you definitely would."

They sat down together and watched some television in silence. "When are you two leaving?"

"You're kicking us out of here already?" teased Shelby.

He shook his head. "You know what I mean. When you have to return to your job?"

Shelby rested her head on his chest. "The preview of the musical is in Boston a few weeks from now," she explained. "But Julia told me I could take a few extra days of before Tech, because I've been thinking that I should celebrate Beth's birthday here."

Noah's face lit up. "Really? Would you do that?" he asked excitedly.

She turned to face him with a smile on her face. "Of course I would."

"Thank you," he said before kissing her.

They kept watching television until Shelby fell asleep with her head on Noah's chest. He couldn't take his eyes off her and played a bit with her hair. He couldn't believe how much he had missed an image as simple as that one.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading, hope you liked it, see you next week and remember if I don't update this there will be a one-shot on the main page!<p>

Have a nice week!


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: **Hey everybody Happy Monday, here's chapter 24 and I just wanted to use this **A/N **to thank my reader **HOMGNIKOLET** like I told you last week I didn't have a clue about what I was going to write, but your review gave me the perfect idea so I hope you find this entertaining. Also thanks to everybody who's been sticking around to read this fic it means a lot to me, especially since we are a small portion of the Glee fandom.

I couldn't forget about you either thank you **BadassMotherShucker94** you are the best Beta Reader ever. Don't forget it!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXIV<strong>

All the members of New Directions were enjoying the party Brittany was hosting at her house. There was music, great food and of course some alcohol. It was just a matter of time before everybody started to feel really 'happy'. Quinn gazed at the clock she had on her cellphone screen; it was almost 8:30 pm. She looked around the room at her friends and realized that everyone was too busy having a good time to notice her absence. She said goodbye to Rachel, made her way to the back door and drove to Shelby's address.

Quinn didn't want to leave the party so unexpectedly, but she knew she had most of the summer to be with her friends, but Shelby was only going to stay in Ohio for another couple of weeks. After announcing herself in the reception, she went to the 11th floor and knocked on the second door of the hallway. Quinn checked her clock for a second time, making sure it wasn't too late, and it was then when Shelby opened the door.

"Quinn," exclaimed Shelby, surprised. "Shouldn't you be at Brittany's party?"

"I left early, because I was wondering if we could talk, if that's okay? If it's too late I can come back some other time, I just knew I could find you right now since Rachel and Puck are at the party."

"Of course we can talk, come in," smiled Shelby as she gestured for Quinn to follow her inside.

Quinn stepped inside and analyzed the suite; there was a sort of a living room area with a small sofa, a TV and a few chairs, and she spotted a room in the back which she assumed was the bedroom.

"Don't be shy Quinn, have a seat," said Shelby nodding towards the couch. "Would you like something to drink? A soda?"

"A soda would be good, thank you," replied Quinn.

They sat down in silence taking sips from their beverages. Quinn was taping her feet nervously, and she was starting to feel extremely awkward. Even though she had apologized to Shelby for all the things she had done and said, she couldn't help but think she could have done and said more to truly make up for her behavior.

"Shelby I'm sorry for what I did to you," said Quinn suddenly.

"We've talked about this, I don't have any hard feelings against you," Shelby assured her.

The younger girl nodded. "I know, but I still needed to say it to you," she paused and smiled. "You are a wonderful mother to Beth. You want to know when I realized that?"

Shelby nodded.

Quinn fixed some of her hair. "Believe it or not it was the night of Sectionals, when I saw you talking to Beth's babysitter asking how she was feeling. In that moment I knew it, I knew you truly love Beth and that she means the world to you. I really don't understand why I kept going with my stupid plan."

"Regardless of my feelings towards Noah, I shouldn't have slept with him while I was working at McKinley, you were right about that," acknowledged Shelby with a serious tone.

"You really love him, don't you?" smirked Quinn.

That question made Shelby blush slightly. "I know I shouldn't," started Shelby.

"Don't say you shouldn't, because you're not doing anything wrong," interrupted Quinn. "People might not understand it sometimes, but don't let that bother you."

Shelby smiled, a little embarrassed at the fact that a teenager was giving her advice. "Would you like to see Beth? She's sleeping but you could give her a goodnight kiss," she asked, changing the subject.

Quinn's eyes widened with excitement at the offer, she thought Shelby would never let her do anything like that again. "I'd love to," she grinned.

Shelby guided her to the bedroom, and Quinn found her little girl sleeping soundly in her travelling crib. She swallowed hard as she carefully ran her right hand through Beth's blonde curls.

"I still haven't found the courage to take her to cut her hair," admitted Shelby, smiling at the image in front of her. She loved it when Noah and Beth spent time together but she had been waiting a long time to see Quinn doing the same.

"I don't blame you, it's beautiful," whispered Quinn before leaning forward and placing a kiss on the baby's head.

"I meant it Quinn, when I said you can visit us once you start Yale this fall, or even sooner if you want, we will always welcome you," reminded Shelby as they sat down again in the other room. "Beth will always know who you are, and you can be part of our family, actually you already are, but you understand my point," she continued, making sure Quinn knew she could see her daughter whenever she wanted.

Quinn wiped some happy tears from her eyes. "Thank you Shelby, for everything," she said sincerely.

Shelby smiled, relieved that all her troubles with Quinn were now something of the past. "I'm planning on celebrating Beth's birthday here in Lima and I'd love to have you at the party. Would you like to help Rachel organize everything? She's not letting me or Noah to do anything, she's really excited," explained Shelby.

Quinn chuckled. "I'll love to come, and I'll definitely help Rachel."

* * *

><p>Later that night Finn and Puck were sitting in the back yard of Brittany's house, watching how all their friends were trying to recreate their "Bad Romance" number; something really hard for them to try, since almost no one could keep their balance.<p>

"They're drunk," laughed Finn.

Puck grinned and shook his head. "You are drunk too."

"I know that's why I stayed here. I'm already a danger when I try to dance sober," grinned Finn.

Noah took a sip from his beer. "Finn?" he waited until his friend turned to face him before continuing. "I love Shelby," he stated.

"Yeah, I know you do," replied Finn looking at Noah confused.

"No, I mean, I really do. I want to marry her, I even thought about buying a ring a few days ago," confessed Noah.

"Dude no! We're too young for that," protested Finn emphasizing his point with his hands in a very clumsy way.

Puck pulled his cellphone from his pocket. "You'll see how wrong you are," he said as he dialed the number. "It's ringing."

"Noah?" answered Shelby with a sleepy voice. "Is everything okay?"

"I love you!" he yelled laughing.

"_Oh God, he's drunk,"_ thought Shelby trying not to laugh.

"I love you too, but I'm going back to sleep now," she said, but he didn't let her.

"No, no! Wait" persisted Noah. "I love your smile, and I love your voice and you are so freaking hot!"

She started to laugh, "Thank you Noah."

Puck started to laugh as well but he managed to calm himself to ask his question. "Marry me Shelby!" he blurted out.

Her eyes widened; she knew he was drunk but she also knew that when people are in that state they tend to be more honest. She shook her head and ignored the comment. "Noah I'm going to sleep, okay love?" she heard him mumbling something that she couldn't comprehend. "I'll talk to you tomorrow; I love you and don't drive in that state."

She hung up and rested her head on her pillow. As she started to drift to sleep she couldn't help but wonder if she would have said yes, if the scenario were different.

"Oh you are so going to regret that in the morning!" teased Rachel to Puck.

He gave her a quizzical look.

"You just proposed to my mother!" she reminded him laughing.

Noah looked at Finn who nodded in agreement with his girlfriend. He shut his eyes firmly. "Sam!" he yelled. "Give me another beer; I don't want to remember any of this tomorrow."

The next morning Puck woke up on one of the couches in Brittany's living room. He tried to lift his head, but it was a bad idea; he felt like a truck had run over his skull. He could swear he was able to hear his own eyes blinking. Puck buried his face in a cushion trying to get some more sleep, but somebody else had a different plan:

"Good Morning Baltimore! Every day's like an open door, every night is a fantasy, every sound is like a symphony," sang Rachel as she opened the curtains letting the sun light in, finally enjoying the fact she was the only sober one the night before.

"Berry what the hell is wrong with you?" whispered Santana covering her eyes.

"I don't see what I'm doing wrong, since it's such," she paused and cleared her throat. "A beautiful morning!" she shrieked.

Sam grabbed one of the empty beer cans from the floor and tried to hit her on the head, but he missed. "Please just speak quietly," he begged.

"I beg you pardon?" yelled Rachel, causing everyone in the room to wince in pain. She laughed as she started to make her way to the kitchen. "I'll make some breakfast, there's a jar of water and some aspirin in the table next to the iPod speakers."

Noah was the first one to join her in the kitchen. Rachel immediately smiled at him, but he could tell it was a friendly smile; it seemed more like a devilish grin.

"What?" he asked nervously.

"You really don't remember do you?" she asked.

Puck just stared at her with a blank expression.

Rachel chuckled. "Check the last phone call you made last night."

Noah did as she said, and when he saw Shelby's name on the screen, he started to feel nervous. "Fuck," he whispered, but Rachel overheard him. He dropped his face on the kitchen counter. "Maybe she didn't pick up," he mumbled, hoping it was true.

"I love you Shelby, I love your smile, and I love your voice and you are so freaking hot!" imitated Rachel the best way she could. "Marry me!"

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" He kept muttering against the cool kitchen counter.

Rachel sat down across from him and gave him a plate of toast with some butter and jelly with a mug of black coffee. "Noah I know you were very drunk last night but have you been considering it?" She asked with a serious tone, but her face remained calm.

He took a bit of his toast and a sip from his coffee and twisted his mouth as soon as he tasted the strong flavor. "Sometimes, but I know I'm not ready for that type of commitment yet, and even if I proposed to her right now I know we would be engaged for a long time before getting married."

Rachel nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

He smiled tiredly at her. "If that day comes, I'll ask for your permission first, I promise," he assured to her.

"Thank you," she said. "Now call her, she must be awake by now."

As he started to make the call Rachel left for the living room with a tray of food and coffee for the rest of her friends.

"Good Morning," answered Shelby with a smile.

Puck took a second sip of his coffee before speaking. "Morning."

She sat down on her bed and tried not to laugh at his tired voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit, everything hurts and I'm not even hungry."

Shelby raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Not even hungry? Wow you poor thing," she gasped teasing him.

He nodded and rested his head on the counter, making sure to place the cellphone on the other side of his face. "Shel? What did I say to you last night?" he finally asked her.

She remained quiet for a few seconds; if he didn't remember there wasn't any point in mentioning his attempt to propose. "You said that you loved me, and then you mumbled some things I couldn't understand."

Noah sighed relieved. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's fine, did you spend the night over there?" she asked.

"Yup we all did, I guess that's why we all went that crazy, except Rachel she actually made breakfast for us," he paused. "Can I come over later?"

Shelby smiled. "You don't need to ask, we'll be here."

Later that day Noah was with Shelby and Beth. He didn't feel sick anymore but he decided not to say that out loud, so that way Shelby could take care of him. He was resting his head on her lap and she was rubbing his forehead as they both watched how Beth was playing with some of her toys on the floor.

"I think I'm starting to like being hungover," admitted Noah.

"Really?"

"If it means getting this kind of attention, I'm getting drunk more often," he grinned.

Shelby kept rubbing his forehead, and watched how he slowly started to close his eyes. "Noah, what's going to happen between us when I go back to New York?" she asked quietly.

He opened his eyes and stared at her. "I think the most important thing is to get along no matter if we are together or not, it's the best thing we can do for Beth."

"Beth deserves that," agreed Shelby, before continuing. "I love you, but you must know that once you start college you are free to date any girl you want, you are not going to be chained to me."

Puck sat up and rested his head on her right shoulder. "The same goes for you, but just don't go out with that British director of the musical."

Shelby burst into laughter. "You really have to drop that subject."

He kissed her temple. "Would it be okay if I come to New York for thanksgiving?"

"Of course it's okay, maybe Beth and I could go to San Jose for New Year's eve to see you play your last game of the season?" suggested Shelby.

"Look at you! You're learning about football," he joked.

Shelby got up and walked into the small kitchen. She poured some ice tea for herself and Noah. He kept looking at Shelby, amused. He loved her so much that for a minute Puck considered telling her about the possibility of going to New York after his first year of college, but he stopped himself. He hadn't even started at San Jose yet and he wasn't sure if his plans were going to work out, so he kept his mouth shut, and just walked over to her.

He pulled her closer by the waist and kissed her deeply. After recovering from the initial shock she returned the kiss wrapping her hands around his neck, and smiling slightly. She pulled away from him for some air, but her hands remained in the same place. Shelby could swear she felt her knees buckle.

"What was that for?"

Noah pecked her lips and shrugged. "Just enjoying the moment."

* * *

><p>About a week later there was a party at the Berry's house. It was Beth's second birthday and everybody from the Glee Club was there, including Will and Emma. Jesse was there too, and was currently sitting with Noah in the living room.<p>

"I like your new look," he teased.

Puck rolled his eyes in response. "Thanks." His tone then became more serious. "I'm going to miss you Jesse, you've been a really good friend these lasts few months."

He was about to reply but the birthday girl ran up to him and tried to hug him. "Uncle Jesse," she giggled.

The young man picked her up and kissed her cheeks. "Bethie, Bethie," he put her back down and gently nudged her nose. "Could you tell me how old you are?"

She turned to face her father and Noah showed her she was two, making the number with his fingers. Beth smiled and imitated the action.

Jesse grinned. "Good job!" He turned to the side of the couch, making sure she wasn't looking and pulled out a present for her. "Happy birthday!"

Beth kissed him on the cheek and said thank you, before walking to where Shelby was waiting for her on the other side of the room. She mouthed a 'Thank you' to Jesse and he just shrugged, smiling.

"I'm going to miss you too, this has been a very unusual ride," admitted Jesse.

"Are you going to be coaching Vocal Adrenaline next year?" asked Noah.

Jesse laughed. "They kind of fired me after we lost at Nationals. I'm going to New York and starting Tisch next fall," he paused and looked at Rachel who was talking to Finn. "I love her you know? I've never stopped loving her," he confessed sadly.

Puck smiled, feeling glad that Jesse trusted him enough to tell him something so personal. "Maybe you'll have a second chance soon."

Jesse nodded. "I hope so," he said as he looked at Shelby. "Don't worry about Shelby and Beth, I'll keep an eye on them, and I'll keep you posted about everything, "I'm still your wingman" he assured Noah, imagining he must be feeling worried.

Puck got up and offered his hand to Jesse, but he rejected the gesture and hugged his friend instead. "C'mon let's eat some cake," said Noah walking to the table.

Shelby enjoyed Beth's party. She missed her parents and her family, but celebrating her daughter's birthday in Lima was the best decision she could have made; it was the best for Noah and Quinn. She saw how much fun they were having, they even let Beth cover their faces with chocolate cake, but what she loved the most was how all their friends were there with them. Shelby realized how all those teenagers have a spot for Beth in their hearts; maybe they were all feeling like aunts and uncles.

She entered her bedroom and found Beth asleep nuzzling her face in Noah's chest, while he was rubbing her back and signing to her softly. She grabbed a blanket she kept on a table next to the bed and covered them with it. "I love you Bee, happy birthday," she whispered before kissing the little girl's head.

Shelby sat down next to Noah and he laced their arms together. She sighed deeply before speaking to him. "I have to leave for Boston in a few days."

He frowned. "I thought you could stay a little longer."

"There's a problem with the ending of the show, plus we lost our leading man, and the star of the musical just left the production, you know they wouldn't be asking me to return this quickly if they didn't need me," she explained sadly.

Puck nodded and pulled her closer to him. "You're right, I'm sorry I'll go with you to the airport."

Shelby kissed him softly. "Are you sure?"

He rubbed her right cheek with his hand. "I am, but under one condition: no tears this time."

* * *

><p>So, I've been considering giving a twist to this story, but I'm still not sure if I should, I have to think about it, and I'll probably mention it to my Beta Reader, because it would change the course of the story so far, but it's something I'd like to write around Puck and Shelby, so even if I don't add it to this fic I'll probably write another fic about that idea, of course as long as <strong>BadassMotherShucker94<strong> keeps helping me.

But for now, have a nice week! And until the next update.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note:** After a lot of thinking I finally managed to write chapter 25, and like I mentioned last week there's a little twist towards the end, because I was feeling this fic was becoming a little monothematic. Hope it keeps you hooked until the next update.

Special thanks to **BadassMotherShucker94** because you even manage to fix your Internet so I could have this ready for today. If it weren't for her I wouldn't be updating today!

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><p><strong>Chapter XXV<strong>

Noah was hugging Shelby tightly by her waist; he was even lifting her a little bit from the floor, which caused her to giggle like a schoolgirl. Rachel was standing not too far from them with Beth, watching their little goodbye moment in awe. She knelt down next to her little sister and smiled:

"You have to be a brave girl and not cry when your daddy says goodbye to you, okay little star? If you start crying your mommy and daddy will get really sad."

Shelby gave Noah one last look, trying to ignore how much she wanted to cry, but she had to kept her promise and say goodbye to Noah with the best smile she could, because like he said to her it wasn't going to be forever. Puck chuckled as he rubbed Shelby's right cheek with his hand, trying to memorize the sensation of her skin against his fingertips.

"What's so funny?" she asked upset.

"You make sad look beautiful Shelby," he stated smiling sadly.

She smacked him on the shoulder. "Shut up," she smiled. She looked at Rachel and gestured for her to join them.

Rachel and Shelby said their goodbyes, while Puck spent one last private moment with his little girl. He kissed her temple and whispered in her ear how much he loved her.

Finally the teenagers were left standing alone at the gate. Rachel gave Noah a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Do you want to grab something to eat?" she asked smiling.

He nodded eagerly at the offer. "I always do."

As the days passed Noah started to feel more and more excited about his summer plans with all his friends. They were organizing a few hiking trips, movie marathons, barbeques and so many other things. He wanted this last summer to count, because after they all started college in the fall, nothing was ever going to be the same. He wasn't going to have Finn or Santana just a few minutes from his house, they were going to be in very different places, and deep inside that was something that scared Noah; he just hope he wasn't the only one feeling insecure.

One afternoon he was jogging around a small park in Lima. He was going to meet up with Finn, but he realized he had arrived at the basketball court a lot earlier than they had arranged.

In school he and Finn were known for playing football, but they had always liked to play basketball too, mostly because they didn't always need another player to join them; they could play alone, or just the two of them but what they enjoyed most was how they always began to share their thoughts, fears and dreams between each bounce of the ball. Without noticing Puck found himself playing alone, running and throwing the ball at the hoop.

"Mind if I join you?" asked a voice behind him.

He laughed and turned to face his best friend. "You think you can finally beat me at H-O-R-S-E?"

Finn snorted. "You're the one who should be worrying, you're kind of short and without the Mohawk you look ever shorter."

And for the first time in a long time they played in silence. They decided to play like that because it felt right, because as weird as it seemed they didn't need to talk to understand what the other was thinking. Rachel, Shelby, Beth, the army and San Jose state didn't matter. They just focused on playing and having fun.

Eventually they had to stop, the sun was starting to go down and the light wasn't the best for playing anymore. They walked to Finn's house and sat down in the front porch.

"You remember it was at the basketball court where we first met?" recalled Finn.

Puck nodded. "Yeah, I asked you if I could play basketball with you because I was tired of watching out for Hannah," he smiled at the memory. "And ever since then we've been bros."

Finn became serious all of the sudden. "I think I'm going to break up with Rachel."

"You're what?" asked Noah, shocked. "You're not going to try long distance?"

"We want to, but honestly, I don't want to be a distraction for her, she's going to be worried, but if she's not my girlfriend she won't have to feel obligated to be worried about me. Does that make sense?" explained Finn.

"It makes perfect sense," stated Puck.

Carole stepped outside and watched the two friends talking, and for a brief instant she was looking at the two little boys who had played so many times in the backyard of her house. It made her smile with joy, but also with sadness. "Noah," she exclaimed. "Would you like to stay over for dinner?"

He smiled at her invitation. "Of course I would!"

* * *

><p>"I brought some empty boxes," said Deborah as she dropped them on top of Noah's bed.<p>

He scratched the back of his neck. "Summer is just starting, I'm not leaving yet mom," he reminded her.

"I know but it won't kill us to get rid of some of the trash you have in here," explained Deborah.

Noah chuckled. "Are you going to be okay without me around?" he asked concerned.

She sat down on the bed and nodded at him to take a sit next to her. "Don't be worried about me, I still have Hannah," she said as rubbed his right cheek. "Of course I'm going to miss my boy, but I'm glad you're leaving for college."

Deborah looked at him, and noticed a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. "You miss them don't you kiddo?" she asked knowingly.

"Yeah," he admitted, "I'm not going to see them until thanksgiving, I know I can still call them and stuff but I'm nervous about what's going to happen once I start to get busy with classes and games…"

Deborah left the room for a few minutes, and returned with a card in her hands. "This is for you, consider it a graduation gift from me and Hannah."

He opened the present and found 700 dollars inside; his eyes widened in shock. "I can't take this."

"You deserve it Noah," stated his mother. "Take a week out of your summer and go spend it with Shelby and Beth."

Noah smiled and hugged his mom tightly. "Thank you, not only for this, but for always believing in me, even when I got in trouble."

A few days later Noah was helping Santana to organize some things in her house; she had decided to throw a party that weekend and Puck was cleaning the pool.

"Remind me again, why I'm doing this now and not after the party?" Puck asked.

She removed her eyes from the magazine she was reading. "Oh you're cleaning the pool after the party too. I'm sure someone is going to throw up in there."

He swallowed hard and cringed. "Great," he muttered.

"Puck do you remember when we pulled that prank on Mrs. Allen in third grade?" Santana asked with a smirk on her face.

"How could I forget?" He laughed. "We put a frog in her desk. How about that time we replaced your big brother's shampoo with ink?"

"I was grounded for a week, which is pretty much the whole of eternity when you are nine. It was totally worth it though, seeing my brother walking around with blue hair was priceless." She pursued her lips for a moment. "Puck?"

He stopped picking up dry leaves from the water and looked at her. "Yeah?"

Santana quivered her lips into a devilish smile. "The school is still open, right?"

Noah immediately understood the reason behind that question. "Yeah, the other kids still have to go in for one more week. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, grinning.

"We have our diplomas, we won't return to that place, we might as well do something they will remember, what do you say? One more prank? For the old times?"

Noah stopped working and sat down next to her. "Go inside and bring some paper and a pen, we have a plan to organize!"

They arrived at McKinley around midnight; they didn't have any problems entering, since Santana still had her copy of the school keys that Sue had given her when she had made her captain of the Cheerios. "Thank you Coach Sylvester," said Noah was they made their way inside.

He grabbed a couple of duffle bags and put them on his shoulders, while Santana picked up a box. "I'll be in the cafeteria, you take care of the pool, and we'll meet here in about an hour."

Santana nodded. "If anybody enters, text me, hide and we'll meet an hour later at the backdoor of the cafeteria."

They did a high five and went their separate ways.

The following morning, they drove to the school in Mrs. Lopez's car, since they didn't want anyone to suspect something. They parked a few blocks away from the building and walked to the bleachers, making sure they'd have the best seats for the show that was about to start.

"How can you be sure that the thing in the cafeteria is going to work?" Santana asked.

Puck flashed his friend a smile. "Jewfro."

She started to laugh. "I should have known." She glanced at her watch, "Three, two one!"

Almost immediately, they began to hear some screaming coming from the cafeteria. Puck had placed a large amount of buckets with water balloons filled with slime in the refrigerator and with Jacob's help a group of students started a battle. Meanwhile Santana had sabotaged the swimming pool by filling it with grape Je-llo, and now some students were actually trying to eat directly from the pool, while others started to throw the je-llo over the other students.

Puck and Santana were laughing like little kids, and Santana almost lost it completely when she heard Sue having some sort of rage crisis over the microphone while Becky played the xylophone in the back round. Noah grabbed a walkie-talkie he had in his back pocket and looked at his partner in crime. "Ready for the finale?"

She nodded excitedly and pressed a button. "Release the goat!" they ordered at the same time.

In the middle of the chaos, a goat was let loose and began to cross the main entrance of the school. It was wearing two signs, one on the neck saying _"senior prank 2012" _while the one on its tale said, _"So long suckers!"_

Santana and Puck clicked a pair of wine coolers together and sat back, feeling proud of themselves. "That's it, goodbye McKinley," said Noah before taking a gulp from his drink.

"We had fun!" finished Santana, she look at her watch for a second time. "C'mon, we need to leave if we don't want to get caught."

"I almost wish we could walk back into the school to receive the standing ovation we deserve," said Puck as he frowned.

"Me too," agreed Santana with a smirk on her face. She started to walk outside the school grounds as she made a phone call.

"Who are you calling?" asked Puck now walking next to her.

"Animal Control, I'm going to tell them where the goat is. Our friend has probably reported it missing by now," she explained.

* * *

><p>It was Friday night and Puck was getting ready for Santana's party; he was going to go early because she needed help to get the grill ready for the barbeque they were going to make. He was almost outside his bedroom when Finn called him on his cellphone.<p>

"Hey man, what's up?"

"Could you pick me up before you go to Santana's?" asked Finn.

Puck raised his eyebrows confused. "Are you not going with Rachel?"

"Nope, we kinda broke up," he explained sadly.

"Oh, I understand don't worry bro, I'll pick you up after I finish some stuff over there cause I imagine you don't want to arrive early."

Finn laughed, "Yeah, you know me."

"I'll see you in a bit," he said before hanging up. He glanced at his phone screen and smiled as he looked at the picture he had set as his wallpaper. It was him with Shelby and Beth the day of his graduation, but the picture had been taken at the restaurant. They were both looking at the little girl who was sitting in Noah's lap with her face buried in his chest. The cutest thing about the picture was that he and Shelby hadn't notice when Rachel took it; they were to busy looking at Beth and smiling.

Noah chuckled and called Shelby, unfortunately she didn't pick answer, but he decided to leave her a voicemail:

"Damn it, I wanted to hear your voice. You must be really busy, what is it called it again, Tech? Anyway my mom and Han gave me some money so I could visit you guys for a week! I'll call you tomorrow so we can decide when is the best time to come over. I love you!"

He ran outside and drove to the Lopez's house.

Santana watched with a disgusted face how Puck seasoned the meat. "Seriously, I'm starting to understand why Berry is a vegan."

He laughed and put a steak near her face, which caused her to gag and shut her eyes firmly. "San stop! It's not that gross, it's not like it's a penis," he teased.

She got up from her seat and started to punch him on the shoulders. "Smartass." She calmed herself and sat down by the edge of the pool with her ankles in the water. "I'm gonna miss this you know? Hanging out and stuff."

"Promise you won't find another bro in Columbia," he said sincerely.

Santana laughed, "I won't, promise you won't break to many hearts in California, I really want to receive an invitation for your wedding with Miss. C!" she teased.

Puck started to cough up his soda. "You all need to stop that!"

"Don't worry we will," she assured him. "As soon as someone does something funnier than that!"

When Brittany and Quinn arrived Puck decided to go for Finn. "I'll be back in a few, I'm going to pick up Finn."

"He's not coming with Berry?" asked Santana.

"You didn't hear?" Quinn asked her. "They broke up."

Brittany grabbed one of her girlfriend's hands. "It's not that exciting, but we'll give you the details before they come back."

Noah rolled his eyes and laughed as he made his way to the front door. He arrived at Finn's house and found his best friend waiting for him siting down on the front porch. Puck climbed outside his truck and sat down next to him.

"How you doing man?" he asked, worried.

Finn shrugged. "Okay I guess, we ended it on good terms, we both agreed we wanted the best for each other, no matter what that was."

Puck nodded and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I know how you feel."

"Thanks man," smiled Finn.

"You're going to be okay at the party? If you don't want to go we can stay here and play some Halo, or watch Star Wars," Puck suggested, understanding that Finn may feel uncomfortable in the same place as Rachel.

"Don't worry I'll be fine, we said we're going to act as normal as possible around the others, besides missing our last summer with all our friends just for a break up is stupid," acknowledged Finn.

"You're both right about that," agreed Puck. He picked up his phone which had just started to buzz. "It's Quinn, she's asking if we can stop by a pizza place and buy a couple of vegan pizzas for Rachel, because she's been complaining for ten minutes of how the only thing she has to eat is chips."

Finn laughed. "Tell her we'll buy them, and let's go."

Once they were both inside the truck, Puck started the engine. "Finn? I know I'm your best bud and stuff, but why did you ask me to pick you up of you could go with Kurt and Blaine?"

Finn sighed. "Don't tell anybody this but I really hate going with them in the car, I don't like the music they put on."

Noah laughed hysterically. "I'm serious man, if I have to listen to another Pink or Katy Perry song or to another Broadway show tune I'll go crazy."

Puck grabbed the iPod Shelby had given him for his graduation and plugged it into the radio. "Lucky for you, I just finished the summer of 2012 official playlist, inspired by the one and only Barney Stinson!" He hit the play button and the two of them grinned.

"Shot through the heart and you're to blame. Darling you give love a bad name!" They sang together as Puck hit the road.

What they didn't know was that they weren't going to make it to the party.

That wasn't suppose to happen, they should be having fun; after all it was their last summer together. They shouldn't been at Lima hospital waiting to hear about their friends' condition. Deborah was sitting on a chair crying while Mrs. Lopez hugged her; next to her was Hannah with her face buried in Quinn's right shoulder. Burt was standing up holding his wife, who just had stopped crying; she felt she didn't have any more tears left.

The rest of the kids were sitting down with Will and Emma, some of them were crying, others like Santana just sat frozen, like they were just waiting to wake up at any minute. Everything seemed like a bad dream.

Jesse ran through the door, but as soon as he saw the looks on everybody's face he stopped himself and walked quietly to Rachel. "Hey," he whispered.

The girl immediately hugged him and sobbed, he wanted to know what had happened, but at that moment comforting Rachel was more important.

After what felt like hours of silence somebody spoke:

"I really hate to be the one who brings this up, but somebody should call Shelby," said Sam

"What time is it? I lost track of time as soon as we got the news," whimpered Rachel.

Will glanced at his watch. "It's a little pass 1 am."

"She's not going to pick up," stated Rachel.

Jesse shook his head. "She's in Tech, she's probably working right now, and she'll have her cellphone with her since Beth is probably with a sitter, or with Shelby's family." He grabbed one of Rachel's hands, "you think you'll be able to call her?"

She shook her head firmly. "Don't worry I'll call her," he assured her before getting up from his seat.

Shelby saw the screen of her phone flashing, and when she saw Jesse's face appearing, she decided to ignore it; but after the third call she knew she had to call him back. "Derek I'll be right back," she whispered, and she received an approving nod in response.

Once outside she dialed the familiar number. "Shelby," answered Jesse trying to keep himself together.

As soon as she sensed his tone, she understood she had to sit down. "Something's happened," he started.

She ran her hands through her hair nervously. "Is Rachel okay?" she asked, her daughter being her first concern.

He nodded. "She's perfect, but there was a car accident," he paused, "And Puck was driving."

"Where's Shelby I need her now! Damn it! Tom go out and find her!" ordered Derek

"Get a soul" whispered Tom as he grunted and went outside, where he found Shelby with her face buried in her hands sobbing. He ran to her and hugged her by the shoulders. "Shelb? What is it? What happened?"

* * *

><p>I need a little help for next chapter, if you want leave name of songs you would like Shelby to sing for Puck! I will listen to them and I'll pick one for the next chapter.<p>

Hope you have liked the funny parts of this chapter! I know is hard to remember that when a twist like this appears at the end, but I didn't want to do something like Shelby is pregnant because there's already a fic about that. Besides I like dramatic twists, I blame J.K. Rowling.

Take care and have an excellent week.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for all the songs suggestions I received last week, I listened to all of them and it wasn't easy to pick one. Especially when I had to watch videos of Idina on tour (Nikki that almost killed me LOL)

This chapter isn't as exciting as the previous one, but at least you'll know the details of the accident and Shelby's reaction to Noah's condition.

Here's the song I choose, my awesome Beta Reader suggested it and I loved it, is a cover of **"Time after time"** by Eva Cassidy here's the link if you want to check it out: watch?v=8iPcE9UQ-qA

If it wasn't for you I would end up killing a character this week, you know why so thank you **BaddassmotherShucker94**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXVI<strong>

He started to move his hands nervously all over his body, occasionally trying to get rid of the pieces of broken glass he had over his clothes. His vision was blurry; somehow, it reminded him of when he was drunk.

Outside he could hear car horns and people running around asking for help "Shit," Finn groaned when he felt a sharp pain invading his body. He managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and groaned again. "Puck, are you okay?" he asked.

No response.

Finn looked carefully at his friend and realized he wasn't awake. He started to panic and shook his arm with all the strength he could find. "Puck wake up!" he yelled desperately, but his best friend still didn't show any sign of response.

"Help! Somebody help us!"

He tried to climb out of the upturned truck, but he couldn't, the pain in his body was getting worse.

"Kid!" yelled a guy who was running towards the car. He kneeled down next to the passenger window and looked at Finn. "Hang in there, I called an ambulance, you think you can get yourself out of there?"

Finn nodded and with the guy's help he climbed out of the truck. "My friend, he's still in there, you gotta help me get him out of there too!" he pleaded trying to keep his balance.

The guy ran to Puck's side and analyzed him. "He's not conscious, we shouldn't move him. The ambulance will be here right away and the paramedics will take him out."

Finn turned his head and saw the truck that had hit them; it was literally a wreck. For a minute he was worried about the driver, but then he remembered what had happened; it was his fault, not Puck's. He was driving on the opposite side of the road. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the guy.

"Your friend is breathing," said the guy who was now back with him, "I need you to stay focused alright?"

"Alright," nodded Finn.

"Could you tell me your name?"

He shut his eyes firmly for a second. "Finn Hudson," he replied wincing. "My friend's name is Noah Puckerman."

A few seconds later the ambulance arrived, and Finn suddenly became restless when the paramedics started to check on him. "No, no I'm okay, really… my friend, you have to help him he's trapped in there!" He explained as he tried to get rid of them.

One of them pointed at Puck's truck. "Look, there are two of us getting him out of the truck." She looked at the teenager in front of her and noticed how he started to appear dizzy. "C'mon Finn you need to get inside the ambulance."

He tried to fight the orders one more time, but the pain in his body was too much too bare, Finn could feel how his leg became weaker and he started to drop his weight on the floor, but luckily the other paramedic caught him by his armpits just in time. Finn started to blackout just as he saw Puck getting released.

He opened his eyes aggressively and found himself in a hospital bed.

"Thank God you woke up!" gasped Carole squeezing one of his hands.

"Mom," he exclaimed tiredly, he turned his head and saw Burt who carefully played with his hair.

A young doctor entered the room and smiled widely when he saw Finn. "Welcome back, how are you feeling?"

Finn did his best to laugh, but he found the action extremely painful. "Sore."

"I would feel like that too, you have…" he checked Finn's report, "A broken clavicle, a small concussion and a few stiches on your forehead and left arm. Overall, you've been relatively lucky."

He raised his eyebrows surprised at the doctor's explanation. "I guess you're right," he smiled and waved at Kurt who had just entered the room. He blinked a couple of times trying to stop the happy tears that had started to fall; he couldn't feel happier to see his brother awake.

"How's Puck doing? Is he awake too?" continued Finn sounding a little more enthusiastic.

The room elapsed to an awkward silence.

"His condition is more complicated than yours I'm afraid," the doctor told him with a serious tone.

"How come? Is he in a wheelchair or something? Where is he?" asked Finn trying to get up, but Burt stopped him and pushed him back into the bed.

"Finn," he started. "He's in the I.C.U."

The doctor observed Finn's shocked expression and thought of an idea to make him feel more calmed. "Would you like to see him? The only one's who have visited so far are his mother and sister. We're planning to let more people visit in a few days but I can make an exception with you."

"Please," Finn begged.

They arrived at fifth floor and closed a glass mechanic door; inside they stopped at the second door and entered the room. The doctor smiled and gave a nurse a friendly nod indicating her to follow him outside. "Well, here's Noah, we'll be outside if you need anything."

Finn thanked them and carefully pulled up a chair near the bed. He sat down and smiled awkwardly. "Hey man."

* * *

><p>"Shelb wake up," Tom whispered, shaking her slightly by the shoulders.<p>

She opened her eyes and smiled sadly at him. "We're almost here, put your seatbelt back on."

After Shelby received Jesse's phone call she ordered him and Rachel not to give her any details about the accident, except one: She needed to know if Noah was alive, which Jesse made clear that he was. She also asked him to take care of Rachel until she could return to Ohio.

Shelby wanted to get back to Lima as soon as she received the news, but she knew that wasn't possible; she couldn't drop her job just like that and most importantly she couldn't leave Beth with her family without a serious explanation. She stayed in Boston until the preview of Bombshell was over, then she flew back to New York and explained the situation to her parents. It wasn't the best way to find out about her relationship with Noah, but to Shelby's surprise they were really supportive and insisted they take care of Beth, because a hospital wasn't the best environment for the toddler, but mostly because the didn't want Beth to see Noah injured.

As for Tom, he had offered himself to go with Shelby to Lima. He knew her very well and he could see that even though she had stated she could handle the situation by herself, Tom knew she was terrified and she could really use a friend with her.

Shelby straightened her seat and adjusted her seatbelt. She looked out through the window; she couldn't believe the reason why she was returning to Lima. In her head the image of Noah was him standing in the airport with Rachel, jumping and waving goodbye at her, wearing a silly grin on his face. She got distracted when she felt Tom squeezing her left hand.

She smiled at him. "Tom I haven't thanked you for doing this."

"Don't worry about that, I'm your friend, that's why I am here," he reminded her.

Once in Lima they made a quick stop at the hotel to leave their luggage and to make their respective phone calls. Shelby called Rachel, who explained to her mother that Finn was already back home, and he only had a few injuries. She was about to tell her about Noah, but Shelby told her she'd rather wait until she could be with him. It was strange but for Shelby neither of the recent events were going to be real until she saw them with her own eyes.

Shelby and Tom arrived at the hospital and asked for information at the reception:

"Hi could you tell us where we can find Noah Puckerman?"

The lady typed a few things in her keyboard and frowned. "I'm sorry that patient is only allowed to receive visits from his family."

Tom rolled his eyes. "She's part of his family," he stated.

"Right," refuted the receptionist with a skeptical tone. "If you are not coming with a family member of the patient you cannot see him."

Tom grabbed Shelby by the hand and dragged her far away from the desk. "Do you have his mother's number?"

She nodded and began to look through her contact list and just when she was about to make the call a voice distracted her. "Shelby?"

They turned around and found Santana walking with Noah's sister, the younger girl ran to Shelby and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you came."

Shelby returned the embrace feeling happy that Hannah wanted to see her here. "How's he doing?"

"He's stable," explained Santana sadly. "That's something."

Tom extended his hand and introduced himself. Once that was over Hannah took one of Shelby's hands and guided her and Tom to one of the elevators. "Don't pay attention to that lady, I'll take you to see him."

When Shelby saw the numbers of the elevator screen increasing, she started to feel her own heart racing, and the sad looks on Santana and Hannah's faces weren't helping her feel any better, they just made her feel more nervous. She wasn't sure if she was ready to see Noah, but before she could even consider returning to the hotel she found herself standing in front of the I.C.U. door.

"Wait here, we're going to tell my mom you came," said Hannah as she and Santana made their way inside.

Once they returned Tom decided it would be better if Shelby and Mrs. Puckerman talked in private:

"Hannah, would you mind taking me to the cafeteria? I could really use a cup of coffee right now."

Deborah gave her daughter an approving nod in response and the three of them walked towards the elevator once again.

"So you work on Broadway right?" asked Santana. "Berry and St. James are going to become like fan girls when they see you."

That comment made Shelby and Deborah laugh and feel a little more relaxed about the situation they in. Shelby's eyes showed a glimpse of sadness when she examined Noah's mom; she looked tired, but more than tired she looked devastated. Shelby could understand it, it was hard to believe that something like that was happening to him after doing so well and after finally feeling content with the things he had in his life, it was almost too unfair to be real.

"I'm sorry I didn't come right away," said Shelby lowering her gaze.

"It's okay, he would hate to see you drop everything for him," she assured Shelby with a sympathetic tone. "I'm sorry I didn't call you as soon as I heard what happened."

Shelby shook her head. "Don't apologize for that, I'm a mother too. If I was in your position I would have run to see my child and forgot about everybody else too." She remained silent for a brief instant. "Deborah, I still don't know exactly what happened that night, I couldn't pull myself together enough to listen every time Rachel or Jesse tried to tell me."

She nodded and guided Shelby to a set of chairs not to far behind from where they were standing. "Not even Finn remembers well what happened, what we know is thanks to one of the witnesses, a man who stayed with them until the ambulance arrived. According to him they were driving, when suddenly a car that was driving on the wrong side of the road hit them. The truck spun a few times and then it landed on the other side of the road. Finn managed to get himself out of the truck," she paused and cleared her throat, "But Noah was unconscious when the ambulance came and he hasn't woke up ever since."

"He's in a coma?" whispered Shelby before wiping a few tears from her eyes.

Deborah nodded in response. "He has a head trauma and that's why he hasn't regained any consciousness."

"Can I go and see him?" asked Shelby with a broken voice.

"You don't even need to ask," stated Deborah. "He's in the second room. I'll go home for a while, since you're here and Hannah's with the other kids, and don't worry I'll notify the reception who you are, I don't want you to have any other trouble with seeing him when you come back."

For most of the people opening a door may seem like an ordinary thing to do, but for Shelby Corcoran something as simple as that seemed like something impossible to do. She could have sworn that doorknob was one of the heaviest things on the whole planet. The simple idea of seeing a Noah completely different to the one she loved was terrifying, but somehow she found the strength to go inside.

"Can you believe it Puck? I don't even know why I'm still with him, he's a good guy but he's so afraid of commitment, and I'm not getting any younger here."

Shelby raised one of her eyebrows and cleared her throat, causing the girl who was siting next to the bed to jump up, blushing slightly, but when she saw the woman at the door, her scared expression was replaced by a smile. She walked up to Shelby and offered her a handshake. "You must be Shelby, I'm Alice, Noah's nurse."

Shelby returned the gesture but still looked and felt confused. "How do you know who I am?"

"Well, Finn, Santana and the others keep saying to him that you were going to come visit him soon. They also told me you're Rachel's mother and after seeing you I didn't have to think twice to make the connection," Alice chuckled.

Shelby nodded and carefully walked closer to his bed, she touched one of his hands, and she noticed some straps "Why is he tied down?"

"He moves a lot and that makes it hard for the IV's to stay in place," explained Alice as she grabbed a couple of blankets and started to make her way to the door. "I should give you two some privacy."

"Alice?" called Shelby nervously. "I don't know what to say to him."

The girl smiled. "Don't worry the others felt that way too on their first visits, a few of them blame themselves for the accident. Finn said it was his fault because he asked Noah to pick him up at his house, and Rachel said it was her fault because she was whining because she wanted to eat vegan pizzas. They both cried their eyes out."

Alice shrugged before continuing. "I couldn't stand it so I told them that the only one who was responsible for the accident was that freaking wild driver not them, and I said that Noah looked like the type of guy who wouldn't let them blame themselves for something like that."

"He is that type of guy," agreed Shelby.

"The point of this story," continued Alice, "Is that in the end they all learned how to be comfortable around Puck, even Santana, although we had to drag her out of here the first time she saw him. She just started to yell at him like crazy, I guess that's her way to deal with pain. But now they just talk to him about how everything is going, that's what you have to do."

Shelby nodded but she was still a little uncomfortable. She grabbed his right hand and sighed deeply.

"He's your boyfriend, I imagine you've talked to him while he's asleep before."

That comment made Shelby laughed bitterly. "It's not the same, he's not going to wake up and mumble something at me."

"How do you know that?" asked Alice with a serious tone. "He's not dead, he's just unconscious."

Shelby brushed Noah's knuckles with her thumb. "He's in a coma, I don't know what's worse," she snapped.

Alice sighed. "Noah's still there Shelby, I just think he needs a little reminder of what's waiting for him here," she said as she gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "If you don't feel comfortable talking to him you could read him something," she suggested. "Finn's brought tons of comic books, he and Santana come so frequently that they often ran out of topics for conversation. Or maybe you can sing to him, he likes that."

"He does?"

Alice nodded. "Sometimes his friends sing to him. Jesse and Rachel even sang a duet for him a couple of days ago, and his brain responded very well to that. Just let him know you're here, that's all he needs. I'll be outside if you need anything." She paused and looked at Noah. "And Puck, don't think I'm done ranting about my boyfriend, I'll give you all the details in a while."

Once the door was closed Shelby felt some tears starting to fall. "Beth misses you so much Noah, she wanted to come with me. I didn't tell her I was coming to see you but I think she suspected something."

She moved her hand to his face and visibly winced as she felt the few cuts he had sustained. "I can't believe I'm saying this but I would really like to hear one of your charming compliments, or to see you giving me one of your sad puppy eyed looks," she chuckled before continuing, "The musical went great I wish you could have seen it." She stopped herself and lowered her face closer to his hand, letting all her frustrations out with a few sobs, as she kissed his hand softly. "You have to wake up Noah I can't stand seeing you like this, you can't do this to me and Beth we need you" she whimpered somehow wishing her words would have some magical effect that could bring him back.

Shelby took a moment to calm herself and to wipe some tears from her face. She looked at him one more time; he looked so calm, almost relaxed if he could only know how much worry he was causing the ones who love him he would just wake up with a jump. It was then when Shelby noticed Noah's left leg; it seemed to be on a cast or something similar. His mother didn't mention that, then again Shelby couldn't blame her; it wasn't the most important thing about Noah's condition at the moment.

"I just realized that you've never heard me sing, and you know why that is?" Shelby went on, "It's because I always felt nervous to sing around you, I know it seems stupid. Alice said you've liked it when your friends sang to you before, I don't have a duet partner like Jesse but I think I can work something out."

She took a deep breath to get rid of her nervousness and she started to sing:

_Lyin' in my bed I hear the clock tick_

_And think of you_

_Caught up in circles confusion_

_Is nothing new_

_Flashback warm nights_

_Almost left behind_

_Suitcase of memories_

_Time after_

_Sometimes you picture me_

_I'm walking too far ahead_

_You're calling to me I can't hear_

_What you've said_

_Then you say go slow_

_I fall behind_

_The second hand unwinds_

_If you're lost you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting_

_Time after time_

Shelby stopped herself from singing when she felt Noah squeezing her hand slightly, it wasn't a strong grip but for Shelby it meant everything. "I'm here Noah," she told him. "Find your way back, we'll be waiting for you." She turned her face to the door when she heard it being opened; it was Finn and Santana.

"Sorry Miss C. we didn't know you were here," he said shyly.

"Don't worry guys and Finn please call me Shelby. I stopped working at McKinley a while ago, and you no longer study there anyway," she encouraged him with a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"

He didn't move from his spot, but he gave her small grin. "Better, thanks for asking."

Santana walked closer to her and looked at Puck's right hand. "Is he squeezing your hand?" she gasped excited.

Shelby nodded. "He just did it, when I was singing to him."

The Latina girl smirked. "Told you, she's just what he needs," she teased looking at Finn. "We should come back later, you deserve some privacy."

But Shelby stopped the pair. "Stay, both of you talk to him, he could use the company of all of us."

Finn nodded eagerly and took a seat next to her, while Santana sat down on a chair on the other side of the bed. "Puck, guess who just blushed like mad when Alice called him cutie," teased Santana, while looking at Finn.

"Shut up!" whined Finn rolling his eyes.

Shelby smiled and kept listening to the teenagers talking about some other things, while she was playing with Noah's right hand. She wished he could see how great those two were getting along, he would be so happy and relieved that they put all their troubles in the past for a change and that they were sharing jokes and laughing, but should could sense something else, like a glimpse of worry, she imagined deep inside they were scared the summer would come to an end and Puck would still not show any signs of improvement "You're good friends to him, both of you," she commented all of the sudden.

Finn shrugged feeling embarrassed. "He's our brother."

"We know that if it was either of us in his place, he would do the same without hesitating," continued Santana. "You're a great girlfriend to him Shelby, he loves you, we can all tell."

Finn nodded and looked at their joined hands. "I think that now you're here, he'll come back at any moment."

"Shelby did Rachel tell you about the senior prank Puck and I pulled?" asked Santana, changing the subject to something more casual.

Shelby shook her head in response.

"I thought so. Well, let me tell you a very interesting story," the girl started with a smirk on her face.

* * *

><p>Don't worry this is not going to be like "The Vow" Puck is going to remember Shelby when he wakes up, but that doesn't mean everything is going to be perfect right away.<p>

Have a nice week, and until then next update.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: ** Hey everybody here's chapter 27, hell this fic is getting longer and longer, I hope you are still finding it entertaining. I came up with this idea because it's something that it's never going to happen. Hope you have fun reading it, cause I had fun writing it.

As always thanks to my _shucktacular _beta reader _**BadassMotherShucker94**_!

References of this chapter in case anyone wants to listen to the songs I mentioned

**Puck's song:** _Karma_ sung by Tiziano Ferro feat John Legend here's a link: watch?v=8SrJUcUZTG0

**Shelby's song:** _I still haven't found what I'm looking for/In your eyes_ Mash-Up sung by Idina Menzel, (Credits to Nikki since it was her suggestion!) here's the link: watch?v=DiRBKOetkbk

And if anyone gets curious about Shelby's gift here's a pic of it:_ (h)(t)(t)(p)(:) / bit . ly / QWxegS _(sorry if the link looks extremely weird, but it was the only way I could keep it on the document)

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><p><strong>Chapter XXVII<strong>

It was a normal summer morning, with lots of sun and tons of kids and teenagers wandering around town. Noah was walking along the street trying his best to identify where he was. It wasn't Lima, he was sure of that. He wanted to ask somebody where he was, but he was afraid he would end up freaking somebody out.

He scratched the back of his neck and turned to the left on the next corner ahead of him, where he bumped against somebody, a girl to be precisely. "Shit I'm sorry I'm kinda lost," he mumbled embarrassed as he picked up her books and musical sheets from the floor.

Puck stood up awkwardly a few meters from her waiting until she was done dusting off her clothes. When she lifted her head Noah's eyes widened in shock.

"Rachel?"

The girl gave him a strange look. "That's a pretty name, but it's not mine, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

Noah rubbed his eyes just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He analyzed the girl; she definitely looked a lot like Rachel. They had a similar skin tone, and the same facial features, but two things were clearly different; this girl had dark brown curls, and as he lowered his gaze to meet hers everything finally made sense. Rachel had brown eyes, but the girl's eyes were hazel, and he knew those eyes because he loves staring at them every time he could. "Sorry, you reminded me of friend of mine," he said as he handed her back her books and other things. "And sorry for bumping into you," he continued, smiling shyly.

"It's okay I wasn't paying attention either," she assured him as she casually analyzed him as well. He didn't look like the type of guy she would usually hang out with, judging by his posture and built she assumed he was a jock, just like the ones who made fun of her at school, but she had to admit he was cute.

"You said you were lost, are you new in Cleveland?" she asked as they started to walk again.

Thanks to that comment Puck started to understand; one night when he was at Shelby's she told him a little bit about her teenage years, and he clearly remembered her mentioning that she had grown up in Cleveland. "Yeah, sort of, I'm Puck by the way."

She raised an eyebrow, surprised. "That's an unusual name, but who am I to judge your parents' decisions… I'm Shelby."

He shook his head, grinning; not even young Shelby liked his nickname. "My name is actually Noah, but not a lot of people call me that."

"Can I be an exception to your rule?" she asked with a hint of filtration in her voice.

"Sure, why not?" he laughed, knowing that fighting her would be pointless. He kicked the floor with his shoes, "So, um do you have any plans for today?"

Shelby shrugged. "Just singing practice."

"Well since I don't want to cause any other accidents, I was wondering if you would like to show me around, I doubt I'll find another guide as pretty as you."

She rolled her eyes and played with her hair, trying to hide her slightly flushed cheeks. "I'm not sure if I should."

He flashed her a smile. "C'mon I'm not a rapist I swear," he joked. "But you know? If you don't want to I'll understand I'll just keep wondering around hoping I won't get hit by a truck or something." Noah waved at her and made his way back to the street but Shelby caught him by the arm.

"I don't want to be the reason you might get into another accident here, let's go."

As they walked along together they started to talk so they could get to know each other. Well, Shelby did most of the talking. She was rambling about her favorite musicals and actresses, and Noah just kept nodding trying to follow her the best way he could, but it wasn't easy. He recognized a few names like Barbra Streisand and Patti Lupone, thanks to the DVD's Shelby had made him watch a few times. She also mentioned this new musical she was dying to see, it was RENT and he couldn't help but chuckle.

Shelby was pretty much the same, she did those same odd but absolutely adorable faces she would usually make when she talks about something she loves with passion and she wrinkled her nose when she wanted to add emphasis about a particular thing she disliked. Yes, Shelby hadn't change that much over the years.

The only difference was that Puck was talking to dreamer Shelby, the one who just wanted to succeed on Broadway; when she talked about being on stage the determination was written all over his face. It reminded him of Rachel so much. Nowadays when Shelby remembers that side of her, there's a glimpse of nostalgia and sadness in her eyes. Noah would never admit it in front of her, because she would probably start to rant about it, but a part of him wished she had accomplished that dream and maybe that way she wouldn't have so much regret about giving Rachel to Hiram and Leroy, even if that meant their paths would never cross.

"I've been talking a lot you must be bored," she gasped ashamed. "Tell me about yourself."

He smiled and sat down, immediately feeling more comfortable. They were in a park sitting down in the grass. "Hmm let's see, I'm from Lima, I'm eighteen and I just graduated from high school a few weeks ago."

She nodded showing interest. "I just graduated too! I'll be heading to New York soon but I'll shut up. Any hobbies?"

"I play football, guitar, piano and I sing. I'll be heading to California and playing for San Jose State University, though I'm not as excited about leaving as you."

Shelby moved closer to him "Why is that?"

Noah sighed deeply and looked straight in to her eyes. He grinned when she backed off a little due to the intensity of his stare. "There's this girl," he paused. "I love her with all my heart and soul; she has the most beautiful eyes, and the most amazing smile I've ever seen."

"Oh," was all Shelby could answer.

He couldn't tell her the truth; it would be very hard to explain. "It's my baby cousin, she's 2 years old, and her name is Beth."

Shelby lowered her head feeling stupid for showing jealousy for a boy she had just met. "So, how long are you here for?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Just for today," he explained sadly, one day was just what he was going to need. "Listen I'm very hungry and I've been staring at that ice cream truck for twenty minutes, I'm going to buy something, would you like some ice cream?"

"I'd love some."

Noah walked up to the truck not so far from where they where talking and bought two cones, and when he returned he found Shelby standing up from her spot. She grabbed the chocolate cone and started walking away. "You're dumping me already?" he protested.

She laughed and shook her head. "If you're leaving tomorrow we still have a lot to see."

Shelby took him to her favorite places: her favorite bookstore, coffee place and music store. But she saved the most important place for the end and Puck wasn't surprised at all when they arrived at an auditorium.

"Can't say I wasn't expecting this," said Puck, sitting down in the first line of seats.

"Am I that obvious?" she asked him, already standing on the stage.

"Just a little," he chuckled. "Are you going to sing something for me?"

Shelby ran her hands through her hair, just like she always does when she's nervous. "Only with one condition, you have to sing something too."

"It will be my pleasure," he stated. "But please, ladies first."

Noah smiled as he saw Shelby trying to get comfortable with his presence in here. He imagined she wasn't used to sharing this place with someone, but as soon as she started to sing the firsts words, it was like she was being transported to somewhere else, and it wasn't only him who was listening to her "I still haven't found what I'm looking for/In your eyes" mash-up. Noah could tell Shelby was singing like every single one of those sits was filled. So when the song came to an end, he did what she deserved after a performance like that one; Noah gave her a standing ovation.

She thanked him and joined him taking a seat next to him. "Now it's your turn."

Puck climbed up to the stage and looked at her, and for some reason he started to feel nervous too. He assumed the reason was probably because he didn't have his guitar with him and it was the first time he was going to sing a capella to her. Puck took a deep breath and focused his attention on the girl in front of him:

_...When the universe connects us __I know this is karma..._

_Stare at the sky, can't get out of my bed_

_There's shadow's circling my head __where's love, your love..._

_In another life did I play this game _

_Leaving me alone with an empty frame __I fear the worst in me_

_But you know the best in me_

_'Cause you see, when I'm honest with honesty_

_I will stumble through the darkness_

_Til we see the morning_

_Is this karma, can you hear me __my heart is singing'_

_Everything inside I wanna say __I think about you every single day_

Puck pointed at her, asking her to dance with him. Although embarrassed, Shelby accepted the offer and joined him on the stage, lightly wrapping her arms around his neck, while he did the same around her waist:

_Is this karma, come and dance _

_Like we did before I lost you, this is karma_

_My heart is singing_

_Everything inside I wanna say_

_Every step I'm taking day by day_

_When the universe connects us __I know this is karma._

As he sung the last verse of the song Noah moved his hands to her face and carefully fixed some of her hair behind her ears. Their faces were just inches apart when Shelby spoke. "It's getting late I should be heading home."

He nodded and grabbed her right hand. "Let me walk you, it's the least I could do."

Just as the sun was starting to go down they arrived in a nice neighborhood, one filled with pretty houses, each of which has a nice front yard, and where the kids can play outside on the street. It almost seemed like a movie.

"You have a beautiful voice Shelby, are you going to New York to study musical theater?" he asked.

She removed her eyes from their still joined hands and looked at him. "Yes, but my parents aren't very happy about it."

Puck was aware of that, Shelby mentioned that her parents didn't want to pay for her college education unless she studied something that, according to them, was more useful that musical theater.

"They say musical theater is a waste of time, because it's a very competitive field but I don't understand it. My brother David, he wants to be a lawyer and that's a very competitive field too, it's not like he's going to be the first lawyer in the history of the universe. The truth is they just think the arts are pointless," she explained sadly.

Puck squeezed her hand to get her attention. "Just do what you love, and fuck what the others think about it."

She laughed; it was nice to listen to something like that for a change. Shelby let go of his hand and pointed at one of the houses at the end of the street. "That's where I live," she showed him before starting to run. "I'll race you."

He chucked and followed her, but just a few seconds later he had to stop, because he felt a sharp pain in his left leg. He knelt down and rubbed, before chasing after Shelby again. He caught her by the waist and spun her around. When they stopped, to his surprised she kissed him. He was about to pull her closer to his body but the sound of somebody clearing their throat interrupted them.

Shelby pulled her face back and found her brother standing behind her. "David!" she exclaimed with her cheeks turning red.

"Go inside!" he snapped before turning to face Noah. "And you, leave."

"Good to see you didn't change much," Puck mumbled rolling his eyes.

"What did you say?" asked David walking closer to him.

"Nothing, nothing! Bye," waved Noah as he turned around and made his way back. He was almost and the end of the street when her heard Shelby calling him. Puck waited until she was next to him and smiled at her. "Sorry about him,"

"It's fine I can't blame him, he has a beautiful sister," smiled Puck.

Shelby smacked him on the shoulder. "Shut up!" she laughed before turning serious again. "Are you okay? I couldn't help but notice you were limping a little."

He rubbed his leg wincing. "Yeah I'm fine, my leg just hurts a little it's probably just a cramp or something, you came back because I was limping? You should be a doctor not an actress!" he teased her.

Shelby rolled her eyes. "Actually I was wondering if you could give you my number or something."

Puck leaned forward and placed a short kiss on her lips. "Trust me on this we'll see each other again very soon Shelby."

"Why are you so sure about that?" she asked him.

He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "When the Universe connects us I know this is karma," he sang as he walked away from her.

* * *

><p>Noah opened his eyes but he forced himself to close them immediately, the light was too bright for his taste. He tried to cover his face with his right arm, like he usually did but he couldn't, it was then when understood he was tied down, and when he did his best to speak up he felt something strange in his throat. Noah started to panic, so he opened his eyes for a second time. He could see a figure moving around, so he made a sound to get its attention.<p>

"My God you're awake!" Alice shrieked walking to the bed. She knelt down in front of him. "I need you to blink once for 'yes' and twice for 'no' do you understand?"

He blinked once.

She smiled. "I'm going to get you out of the straps, I know you're scared but try your best to stay calm."

As soon as he felt his hands being released he automatically grabbed Alice's left hand. "I know, it's okay, I'll take the tube out of your throat now, cough please." she demanded with a soft voice.

Noah coughed three times and Alice removed the tube, letting him take the first gasps of air on his own in weeks.

"Welcome back, we've been waiting for you, any chance you could tell me your name?" she encouraged him with a smile.

"Noah," he managed to say, though his voice was really high and weird.

"Nice to finally meet you Noah, I'm Alice."

A few hours later at the hotel where Shelby and Tom were staying her cellphone started to ring. Shelby was downstairs waiting for Rachel who was about to arrive, so Tom answered her phone. "Hi, Mrs. Puckerman it's Tom, Shelby is downstairs," he paused and nodded relieved. "That's wonderful! I'll tell her right away."

Just a few minutes later Shelby and Rachel returned and he greeted them with the good news. "Noah's awake!"

They rushed back to the hospital and went straight ahead to the I.C.U. Shelby was about to enter Noah's room when his doctor stopped her:

"Listen, he's not himself, he's not talking yet and his eyes might appear a little lost but don't worry okay?"

She nodded and entered. Shelby found Noah sitting down in his bed with his head resting on Hannah's right shoulder. His mother was on the little couch at the back of the room finally sleeping a bit. She approached him carefully, doing her best not to scare him. Shelby sat down in the same chair as the last time and grabbed his right hand.

Puck gave her a confused look in response.

"Hi Noah," she said quietly and took out a present from her purse. It was a Han Solo plushie "I brought you this," she explained placing the toy on the little table next to the bed.

He looked at the gift, then at her, his expression remained unreadable and it brought tears to Shelby's eyes. But then he squeezed her hand and smiled tiredly at her. "Hi," he mumbled quietly.

And that was all she needed at the moment.

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><p>Young Shelby and Puck, like I said it's something that is never going to happen, but I imagined Noah would have liked to meet her if he could! and well he's awake now!<p>

Gonna try my best to update next monday, it's going to depend on my week and if I finally decided what is going to happen to Noah.

Have an awesome start of the week, enjoy the Olympics and until the next chapter!


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: **Hello there! I know it's Sunday but I kind off made a promise to one of you guys on tumblr, I said I would do my best to update this week and well it's still Sunday so here's chapter 28 Nikki aka: HOMGNIKOLET this is my way to wish you the best on your new semester!

Two more little things, the first I'm starting to work on a new Shuck fic, completely different from this, and not as long, but I'll probably publish it when I'm done with this one.

And the other yes! **BadassMotherShucker94**, thank you so much for your help as always, and stop being silly you do so much for this fic that I don't care if your reviews are short, or if it takes you a while to leave one!

Happy reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter XXVIII<strong>

A few days after Noah woke up, Shelby pretty much forced Tom to return to New York before she went to pick Beth up at her parents' house, knowing that Beth was that little extra motivation Noah was going to need during his recovery.

It had been almost a week since Noah had woke up. He still had to stay in for the rest of that week, but he was moved from the I.C.U. to a regular room on another floor. Noah was showing great signs of improvement, he was talking fluently and he didn't have any type of physical problem, except from his left leg, which was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

As for his memory, Puck remembered pretty much every moment of his life, but he had trouble organizing the memories of the past year of his life, and trying to recall everything made him feel tired and light headed, but mostly it frustrated him.

"Daddy's little girl ties a ribbon around my heart, daddy's little child waves goodbye to the ocean tide that sweeps me, though we're apart, she's a part of me. Bethie smiles with the dawn Bethie smiles and she radiates the glow around her halo

When she plays, Bethie smiles. On a summer day, Bethie smiles. A new day, Bethie smiles," sang Puck to his little girl, who was snuggled in next to him in his hospital bed.

He continued singing to his baby girl, enjoying how she snuggled against his chest and how she tried to pull his face closer to her so she could kiss him. She was the best visitor for him at the hospital; she didn't ask him to try remembering things, she didn't bother him about how he was feeling, Beth was just happy to see him, and cuddle next to him.

The door was opened and Finn and Santana poked their heads round. "Hey guys," Santana said smiling. "Is it okay of we interrupt your little moment?"

Puck kissed Beth's head. "Not at all."

Finn was the first one to join them. He took a seat next to Puck's bed, picked up Beth and sat her own his lap. "We brought you something."

Santana pulled out a gift from her purse and handed it to him; it was a scrapbook of their senior year. "Thanks," smiled Puck as he started to flick through the pages. He analyzed the pictures and could recognize a few of them, like the one Coach Beiste had taken of the football team the night of their first game. His doctor told him it was completely normal to experience memory lost after suffering a head trauma, and he assured him that he will recover it very fast, as long as he tried to live his life as nothing ever happened. So far it wasn't working, and Noah just wished he could find a way to make his memory return faster.

He stopped at one of the pictures and took it off the page to get a better look at it. He saw Shelby, Rachel, Jesse Beth and himself and judging by everybody's clothes he assumed it had been taking during Christmas

"So I'm really friends with Jesse?" he asked confused. In his head the last memory of Jesse was him in New York right after he had confessed he had feelings for Shelby, so when he showed up at his room the day before Puck thought he was going to kill him for doing something bad to Shelby.

"I know it's weird, but the guy is actually not that bad, as long as I don't make fun of Berry we can get along," explained Santana.

"And Shelby and I?" he continued.

Finn patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, we all know."

"We're actually very happy for you guys," smirked Santana.

Puck looked through the window and saw Shelby talking to Jesse. He could tell how exhausted she was, and he couldn't believe it was actually because of him. He could recall that had Shelby returned to Lima and he definitely felt something for her, his heart swelled every time he locked eyes with her, and when Shelby laughed he felt happy for no reason, actually knowing that Shelby Corcoran was his girlfriend, wasn't something he was going to complain about. He just wished he could put all the pieces together, so he could be in the same place as her.

"Do I make her happy?"

Finn smiled. "She wouldn't be here if you didn't."

Puck nodded. "And how long until you guys have to leave for college?"

Santana shrugged. "A little over a month, five weeks or something."

"Don't worry Puck, I'm not joining the army until you're fully recovered, I'll work at Burt's shop for now," Finn assured him. He had made his decision because he knew his best friend would have done the same for him.

Outside Shelby watched how the group interacted. It was good to see how hard everyone was working to bring Noah's memory back. When it wasn't Finn and Santana it was Quinn who sat down and answered every question he could have throw at her. Rachel told him all the details about the competitions they had, and Artie and Mike had made a video for him. She wished she could be that strong. Puck hadn't said another word to her after that "hi" he told her the day he woke up. And every time she entered his room he looked at her confused, and it was all becoming too much for her.

"He's getting better," said Jesse quietly.

Shelby scoffed. "Please, have you seen the way he looks at me? He thinks I'm a stranger."

Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose. "What were you expecting? Memory loss is common after those types of injuries, at least he woke up, and he's talking; he could be so much worse. He knows who you are, believe me. Yesterday when he saw me, he pretty much yelled, 'I didn't do anything to her.' He was scared I was going to kill him with a pillow," he sighed. "He just can't put it all together at once."

She nodded running her fingers through her hair. "I know, but it's so hard seeing him like that, he's not my Noah."

Jesse hugged her and rubbed her back trying to sooth her. "Give him some time."

"I just don't know if I can."

Mrs. Puckerman arrived on the hallway with a doctor. H nodded at Shelby and Jesse as he made his way inside, where he politely asked Finn and Santana to leave the room.

"Hi mom," Puck exclaimed before turning his head to the doctor. "You're not my doc."

The man smiled and extended his hand for Noah to shake. "Nice to meet you Noah, I'm doctor Davis. I'm a physical therapist and I'm going to help you with your left leg." He paused and took a seat on the chair next to bed, while Deborah adjusted herself on the left side of the bed.

"You see during one point of the accident, your left knee suffered a severe fracture that's why you have a cast. Remember those X-Rays we took last week?"

Puck nodded in response.

"Well, your knee is improving really well; I'm expecting we're going to replace the cast for a knee brace in a few weeks. However you are going to need to do some physical therapy in order to regain the strength in your leg. The good part is, if you work hard enough your leg will be as it used to be before the accident."

Deborah grabbed his left hand. "Noah, the bad thing is that you'll probably miss the football season."

He gave them a confused look in response. "Okay, and that's bad because?"

His mother hugged him from the shoulder and sighed deeply before explaining the details of the situation. "Noah, you had a football scholarship, you were planning to leave for California in a few weeks."

Puck didn't say a word; he just remained silent looking into space. "Me? I had a scholarship?" he asked surprised that something as important as that actually happened to him, and the worst part was that it seemed he wasn't even going to get to enjoy it.

"I've already called your recruiter, and he said that if you don't recover from your injury in time, you are free to try again next year," explained Deborah.

Noah shook his head firmly. "How?! I'm not in high school anymore, they probably gave my spot to some other guy," he buried his face in his mother's neck.

"I'm sorry kiddo," she whispered into his ear as she rubbed his back. "Everything's going to be fine, I promise. You're here with us and that's the important thing. We'll work this out one day at the time I promise, but for now we have to focus on your leg."

"I want to go out for a bit," he said.

The doctor nodded and helped him get adjusted in his wheelchair. Outside Puck found Shelby and the others waiting; they had heard everything and they wanted to say something optimistic to him, to help him cope with the situation. Santana walked closer to him. "Puck I wanted to tell you."

"You're leaving," he started. "You all are! And look at me, I can't even walk. I guess I am meant to be a Lima loser."

Santana tried to speak again, but before she could say a word Shelby was kneeling in front of Noah. "I know how you feel Noah, I thought I'd lost everything."

"No you don't!" he cut her off. "Just because you didn't get the lead on Broadway doesn't mean you understand me!" He pushed the chair backwards when Shelby tried to touch him. "Don't touch me!" he sighed. "Just leave me alone," he muttered as he made his way to the opposite side of the hallway.

He had never snapped at her like that, he had never rubbed in her face something about her past. He knew how hurt she was by the look in her eyes as each word escaped his mouth. Noah regretted what he had said, and he wanted to apologize but at that moment he didn't want to see any of them.

Puck began to wander around the hospital trying to clear his mind as he played with his wheelchair spinning it around. He was about to go downstairs, when he recognized a familiar person hurrying up trying to catch the elevator. He chased after her. "Boo!" he yelled causing Alice to jump. She gave him a stern look, but it was soon replaced with a smile. "Don't do that!"

Puck smiled sadly at her. "Sorry Ali."

She noticed his sad expression. "Is everything okay?"

"No, I just don't know," sighed Noah.

Alice started to push his chair towards the elevator. "I have a craving for donuts, wanna join me? We can drown our troubles in sugar."

"Sure, are you buying?" he chuckled.

Alice laughed. "Of course I am handsome!"

They sat down at the entrance of the hospital, eating donuts in silence. Puck enjoyed them, he was tired of the hospital food, it was too bland for his taste. "Thanks for hanging out with me," he said sincerely.

Alice wiped some raspberry jam of his face. "No problem, you were lucky I was about to leave when you found me," she took a sip from her coffee. "But I'd like to know what happened if that's okay?"

"I don't know how to explain it, I feel so weird and there are so many things I don't get right now, did you know I had a football scholarship?"

She nodded. "Finn told me."

"Well now it's over," he slapped his cast. "Because of this."

Alice remained silent, listening as Noah let out all the things he had on his mind:

"And I don't know what pisses me off the most, the fact that I lost the scholarship, or that I can't even remember it!"

She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, you'll get your memory back, don't pressure yourself that much."

Puck rested his head on her shoulder. "You and Beth are the only ones who don't expect anything from me right now."

"That's because I'm the only one who didn't know you before the accident and Beth well she's two, she doesn't understand what's going on."

That comment made him laugh bitterly. "I wanna be the same guy who I used to be before the accident, and I think I'm trying but seeing everybody so worried and sad when I can't remember something frustrates me," he explained as he started to eat another donut. "And Shelby, I feel like I'm hurting her without even trying."

Alice raised an eyebrow and gave him a serious look. "Noah, let's just put the whole memory lost thing aside for a minute, what do you feel when you see her?"

He smiled shyly. "Confused, but in a good way. She's so beautiful and I just want to be closer to her, make her feel safe," he paused and thought about what he just had said. "Shit I sounded like a girl!"

"This," Alice poked his heart, "Doesn't lie. You love her and it's okay if you feel confused and overwhelmed right now, your mind is kind off foggy, but don't be afraid to be honest with them about that. They won't get mad, they just want the best for you, you are not alone, don't push the ones who love you away."

Alice looked up and saw Santana standing not too far away from them. She had an upset expression on her face; it was similar to the one she had the day she visited Noah for the first time after the car crash.

Santana was upset, but not with Puck. She was mad at herself, she used to be the only one who could talk to Puck when he was in a bad mood, but at that moment there was nothing she could do to help him, and it made her feel like a terrible friend.

"Wait here Puck I'm going to the bathroom, don't eat all the donuts while I'm gone," Alice told him. She made sure he wasn't looking at her before following Santana. She caught up with the girl at the elevator, when Santana saw her she couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him," she crossed her arms. "I know this might sound stupid but is he okay?"

"Yes, he's just a little overwhelmed and I guess he feels alone," Alice explained.

Santana shook her head rolling her eyes. "I miss him, he's my best friend and he doesn't want to talk to me. I used to be the one who brought him back when he was like that."

Alice hugged Santana. "It's okay, you know why he is so distant with everybody? It's not because he's mad at you, it's because he knows how worried you are and he doesn't want to worry you more."

Santana laughed. Puck's mind may be a mess but he still hadn't change. "He's so stupid."

"He is," agreed Alice chuckling. "Go upstairs I'll bring him back to you guys in a few, tell everybody he's fine."

"That took you a while," Puck mumbled with his mouth full.

"You ate them all?!" Alice shrieked almost laughing at his appetite.

He shrugged and gave her his sad puppy look. "I was hungry!" he protested. "Could you buy some more, not for me, for the guys I'll pay you."

A few minutes later Alice arrived at Noah's room, pushing him in his wheelchair. "Look who I found wondering around the hospital."

Deborah walked over to him. Noah was expecting to receive a speech for what he had said before, but she just hugged him instead. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he smiled and looked at everybody. "Sorry for snapping and being a complete asshole before, but I bought donuts." He chuckled when he heard Alice clearing her throat. "Alice bought donuts."

While the guys where eating and talking Santana noted how Shelby remained standing up at the back of the room, arms crossed. After making sure Beth was okay, Quinn and Rachel were finding her little pieces of donut, Santana grabbed Shelby's hand and took her outside into the hallway.

"Are you angry at him?"

Shelby shook her head. "It's hard that's all. There are brief moments when he looks at me and I think he's back, but then he's gone again."

"He knows that, he can see it hurts you, that's why he's not getting close to you yet, I guess he's trying to remember first," Santana turned serious all of the sudden. "But I need you to listen to me out here Shelby, if you ever consider dumping my bro right now, I won't care what Berry or Jesse will have to say, I'll go Lima Heights Adjacent on you alright? Puck has been through a lot to be with you, believe me, you have no idea how much."

Shelby returned Santana's look before looking at Noah. "I would never forgive myself if I did that to him."

"Good, I'm just checking you won't run away from him, no offense but you have a record of doing that," Santana pointed out.

Shelby couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry okay?" she stated.

Santana walked back into the room. "Hey! Everybody out! The lovebirds need some time alone."

Puck's face turned slightly red at his friend's order; he hadn't had a moment alone with Shelby since he woke up. Alice approached him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good luck Romeo, I'll come and visit you tomorrow, don't be nervous."

"What about Beth," asked Shelby trying to get herself out of the situation.

"Oh don't worry mom, Quinn and I will take care of her," offered Rachel with a smirk on her face.

Deborah gave his son one last hug and left the room with the others. Noah and Shelby stayed in silence looking at each other awkwardly. "Sorry for what I said to you earlier, it was out of order."

"It's okay Noah, I didn't get mad," she assured him, smiling.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he nodded towards a little bag on the table next to his bed. "That's for you I know you don't like donuts so I asked Alice if she could buy a chocolate filled croissant for you."

Shelby stared at him with a mixture of surprise and happiness. "I remember it's your favorite, wanna sit down with me?" he asked her.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"You won't," he stated. "Please?"

She knew she couldn't refuse if he made his sad eyes, and it made her wonder if he knew it too. Shelby carefully adjusted herself next to him, and Noah grabbed the scrapbook Finn and Santana had brought him and opened it at the page where he saw his picture with Shelby and the others. "Tell me about this."

She smiled at the memory. "That was Chrismukkah."

"That explains the reindeers and the Menorah," he chuckled. "Was it your idea?"

"Actually it was Rachel's and you were ecstatic about it," she pulled up the right sleeve of her blouse and showed him the bracelet she was wearing. "You gave me this."

Puck's eyes widened and he ran his fingers over her arm. "I finally did it, I wanted to give it to you when I was in New York but I saw you with your boyfriend and I chicken out." He looked at her. "Shelby what do you see in me? I'm just a loser I'm…"

She rested her index finger on his lips. "You are wonderful and sweet and caring and I love you," she said, smiling at his shocked expression. "Don't worry you don't have to say it back."

Noah continued listening to her telling him about all their moments together and in that moment he understood that he didn't need to remember everything right away to know he was the luckiest guy ever. Shelby sighed happily as she felt Noah's head resting on her left shoulder. "Shelb?" he mumbled tiredly.

"Yes Noah?"

He lifted up his head and locked eyes with her. "Can I kiss you?"

"You're asking for permission?" she asked trying not to laugh.

Puck shrugged. "Is it that weird?"

"Yes, the first time you kissed me you just leaned forward, you were lucky I didn't slap you!" she recalled laughing.

"I know how lucky I am," he told her with a serious tone. "I have you."

Shelby smiled and pulled his face closer to hers, she kissed him softly, just to see how he would react. He pulled back and stared at her with a dumb fooled expression on his face.

"Did it ring any bells?" Shelby asked.

"I think I'm going to need a second kiss if that's okay," Noah grinned, leaning forward.

* * *

><p>That's all for now, and I'm gonna give you all a heads up, get ready for some drama over the next few chapters.<p>

Have a nice week and I'll read you all on my next update!


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note: **Thanks for you patience and for waiting for this chapter I hope you like it, and it was worth the wait. There's a little twist/cliffhanger towards the end. Please don't hate me for that!

As always thanks for your constant help** BadassMotherShucker94** like I said you deserved that break, and if you ever need another one, because you are having hectic days just tell me :)

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><p><strong>Chapter XXIX<strong>

"That's great, good job Noah," said the doctor enthusiastically as he helped Noah to do the respective exercise for his knee. Noah had been doing physical therapy for a few weeks now, and by this point he could tell his knee was getting stronger by the day. He was so focused on his work, that he didn't notice Shelby and Beth have arrived about fifteen minutes ago, and were watching him.

Their relationship was now more similar to the one they used to have before the accident; they were comfortable around the other and they talked a lot. Sometimes it was still a little awkward but Shelby didn't seem to mind that.

"Dadda!" Beth shrieked trying to get Noah's attention, but he couldn't distract himself at the moment. The little girl tried to release her hand from Shelby's so she could run where Noah was.

"No Bee, you can't distract daddy right now," said Shelby.

"But," she insisted pouting.

"But nothing, we just have to be patient and wait a little longer."

Puck waved at them and made a funny face so Beth could understand he knew she was there, and indicated to Shelby there were only ten more minutes left of therapy. She waited until the doctor left Noah's side to approach him.

"Hey I wasn't expecting you guys here today, I thought my mom was going to pick me up," said Noah.

"She was, but we thought you might like a surprise," explained Shelby.

Puck nodded before picking up Beth and sitting her down on his right knee. "Well I love my surprise; you wanna do something fun now? Like, I don't know going to the park, and later eat some ice cream?"

"Park, park!" Beth giggled.

"I guess we have our answer," he smiled putting Beth on the floor so he could grab his crunches. Once he was standing up he leaned forward and kissed Shelby on the right cheek. "Is the park okay?"

"It's perfect."

When they arrived at the park, they let Beth go and play, where all the games were, and they searched for a bench close to where she was. "How much longer will you need to wear those?" asked Shelby taking a seat.

"I can walk without them, but I still have a little trouble running and going up and down the stairs, and it's better if I don't force myself. But I ain't gonna lie the crunches are really annoying," he explained laughing a little.

"Does you knee hurt?" she continued. Shelby knew Noah didn't like to talk about how he was feeling, but she couldn't help feel worried about him. She was glad he was back with her, but she needed to be sure he was doing well and that he wasn't lying about any possible pain he could be feeling.

"A little, but not as much as before, there's no need to worry Shel," he replied simply.

They stayed quiet for a while, holding hands just looking at how Beth entertained herself. What Shelby didn't notice was how Puck had turned his attention to her; he was examining every detail of her face, he wanted to make sure that image next to him wouldn't leave his memory, but most importantly he didn't want to forget the way he was feeling at that very moment. He felt absolutely and completely happy.

"You like autumn because it's not as hot as the summer, but not as cold as the winter," he said quietly.

Shelby turned to face him, a surprised expression was covering her face. She squeezed his hand encouraging him to keep going.

"Your favorite ice cream flavor is Coffee Health Bar Crunch and sometimes when you are sleeping soundly you hit me with your arm for no reason and I end up waking up," he laughed.

"When you were pregnant with Rachel you were scared she might have your nose, because you didn't want her to suffer the jokes like you did," Noah leaned forward and kissed Shelby's nose. "But honestly, I love your nose, I think it's beautiful and if we had known each other as kids I would have kicked those kids asses."

Shelby hugged Noah tightly and buried her face in his neck. "See? I'm remembering stuff," he whispered stroking her hair. He made sure she was calm before pulling away from her. "And," he sighed deeply, "I don't want to say I remember this, because I've been sure of this since I woke up and saw you. I love you."

Shelby leaned forward and kissed him, holding back happy tears the best way she could. Before the accident she got so used to listening to him saying those three words, that she even took them for granted, but at that moment it was like hearing for the first time all over again.

"I love you too," she replied simply.

* * *

><p>Finn was working at Burt's shop. He had been working there again for a couple of weeks now, and he couldn't feel more content about that. He hated feeling useless at his house, and staying in Lima for a little longer was a decision that brought a little happiness to his house, but his family knew that in the not so distant future he was going to leave like he planned. Now that Puck was back to normal, Finn had been wondering about what he was going to do. He stopped his work when he felt something hitting his right leg; he pushed himself away from the car and saw Puck grinning at him. "You came by yourself?"<p>

Puck nodded. "Yeah, I'm starting to feel bad because everybody has to drive me around, and it's not even necessary. I'm not a cripple."

Finn cleaned up his hands with a piece of cloth, before patting Noah on the back. "I agree with you on that, how's therapy going?"

"See for yourself." Puck set aside his crutches and stood firmly holding his weight on both legs.

"That's awesome!" celebrated Finn. "And how's everything with Shelby?" he asked grinning.

"Everything's going great, I told her I loved her a few days ago," he told Finn, a little embarrassed.

"I'm glad to know that," said Finn. "So, do you know what you're going to do after you're fully recovered? I'm guessing you're going with Shelby and Beth to New York?"

"I don't know," Noah shrugged. "It's not like I don't want to, but I think living together is kinda rushed, and New York is expensive and I doubt I can find that many pools to clean."

"Go to The Hamptons, I bet there are lots of pools to clean there," laughed Finn.

"Yeah like those fancy people will let me clean their pools," Noah said before pausing and turning serious. "I'm considering going with you. The doctor said my knee is going to be like nothing ever happened very soon if I keep working like I've been."

Finn stayed quiet for an instant, thinking about the things Puck would leave behind. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, my dream wasn't playing football in college, my dream is to make Beth feel proud of me, and even though I love being with Shelby and I can picture myself spending my future with her I think I need to grow up more. Shelby and I, we've been through a lot but if she doesn't want to be with me if I go to the army, because it could be too much for her, I'll understand."

"You could die," Finn reminded him.

"We almost died here, remember?" Puck pointed out with the same tone as Finn. "Finn you're the first friend I made here, because Santana and I we have been friends since our moms were pregnant or something like that," he joked. "Let's go together, and if we're deployed with the same unit we'll have each others back, just like we did here."

They did a fist bump. "Just like here," Finn repeated.

The following weeks went like a blur, and most of Puck's friends were now ready to leave for college. He waited until the ones he was closer to were about to leave before telling them about his decision. Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Rachel and Finn were having a little gathering at Rachel's house, and Noah knew it was the perfect moment to tell them, especially since most of them were going to leave that weekend. He stood up from the couch and took a place in front of everybody and once everyone's eyes were on him Noah spoke:

"Guys as you know I'm not going to California anymore since I've been doing my therapy, but my leg is better now and I've decided to join the army with Finn," he said firmly.

Silence. Nobody said a word.

"You can't!" Quinn almost yelled. "Beth, you can't do that to her."

Noah sighed. "You and Shelby get along now, you can go and see them, and talk to Beth about me. Besides I'll send her letters and I'll Skype with her and Shelby every time I can."

Rachel frowned, trying not to lose her temper, but she was feeling worried. She cared about Noah, but mostly she cared about her mom, and she couldn't help but feel concerned about her. How would Shelby react to the news? Rachel understood she needed to support Noah, and she needed to stay strong for her mother, because she was going to need her, even though at first Shelby would probably say she was fine.

"You have to promise you'll take care of yourself, Beth needs both of us," Quinn continued now with a more calmed tone.

"I'm not happy with this, cause I really hate being worried about you Puck, but please don't die," pleaded Santana with a sad look on her face.

"Guys," Finn started. "Please don't worry that much, it's not like we're leaving a week or a day after we enlist. We have to go through boot camp first. Then special training, and then we'll be assigned to a unit. Deployment isn't until later, we'll know what we'll be doing," he explained trying to lighten up the mood.

"Could we just have fun and not worry about that? " Puck asked smiling.

But Rachel separated him from everybody and dragged him into the back yard. Surprisingly she stayed quiet for a long time just pacing around and grunting quietly. "Why the army? Why now when she's so happy with you?"

Puck crossed his arms. "You know how you feel when you sing on stage? Like you're doing something that truly makes other people happy, and that's why you feel happy?"

She nodded.

"Well I've always liked the idea of joining the army because I would be doing something for other people. I'm not planning on doing this just because I lost the scholarship. I've thought about this, even after I got the offer, the only who knew was Finn because it's been our plan since we were younger," Puck explained.

"She doesn't know yet, does she?" asked Rachel.

He shook his head. "I know she's going to be upset."

"She won't," Rachel interrupted him. "She's just going to be scared, but Noah did you even consider applying to a school in New York? You could start in January."

"I can't afford it," he sighed.

"My mom wouldn't mind helping you, you know that," Rachel insisted, trying to find a way to convince him to change his mind; she really didn't want to see her mother dealing with the fact that Noah was joining the army.

"I wouldn't let her, and Rach do you actually see me going to college and studying and all that?"

Rachel laughed.

"Yeah me neither," he agreed. "But I still want to be good enough for her, I don't want to be living in New York and have the same lame ass job forever, I want to go to career day at Beth's school and look at her smiling with pride because her dad is there."

Rachel walked closer to him and gave him a hug. "To me, you're already good enough for her, but I understand your reasons, just like I did with Finn."

* * *

><p>Santana, Brittany and Quinn were the first ones of the group to leave Lima that week. They were driving together to New Heaven, where Quinn would stay at Yale, and then they would drive straight ahead to New York. Everybody was there ready to say goodbye to the girls, including Shelby and Beth. Quinn went to hug Noah first. "Please be safe," she ordered. "That's my deal, I'll keep an eye on Bee and Shelby if you take care of yourself."<p>

"You have my word," he promised.

Quinn picked up her little girl and kissed the top of her head. "Would it be okay if I visited you on my first long weekend?"

"S'okay Quinnie," Beth replied before giving her a kiss.

While everyone was talking next to the cars Santana took Puck with her back to the front porch. They stayed quiet for a few minutes until she hugged him tightly. "Are you sure you don't want to come with Britt and me? You know you can stay with us, they only thing is that you'd have to sleep on the floor for a while," she tried one last time to convince him not to go.

He laughed and squeezed her body tightly. "I'm gonna miss you so much," she said with a cracked voice. "You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend too San, and don't worry I'll call you from boot camp every time I can," he reminded her. "But, I need to ask you for a favor."

Santana broke the embrace and nodded. "I know I've already asked Rachel and Jesse to do this, but I know sometimes they'll be busy. So whenever they can't go over to Shelby's could you go instead and say to 'hi' to Beth from me?"

"Why are you even asking? That munchkin is going to see tons of her aunties Sannie and Britt," grinned Santana.

Shelby was watching the conversation from where she was standing. She imagined Santana wanted some privacy to let her guard down, but there was something in the girl's body language that was bothering her; Santana looked more worried than sad about leaving Noah.

"You have to call me when you're leaving for boot camp, so I can book a flight and come back for your graduation," ordered Santana.

Puck hugged her again. "I know we don't say this cheesy stuff that often, but I love you San."

"I love you too Noah."

Once they rejoined the others Puck went to find Brittany and gave her a goodbye hug. "Take care of Santana," he whispered in her ear.

After all the laughter and bittersweet tears the girls took off, and Noah walked over to where Shelby was and smiled sadly at her. "Can I hang out with you for a while?"

Back at the hotel Noah took a seat on the bed, making sure his knee was resting properly. Shelby took a pillow and placed it just below his knee. "Thanks."

"It's nothing," she assured him smiling, taking a seat next to him. He grabbed her left hand and started to rub her knuckles as she rested her head on his chest. "Santana seemed really upset when she was saying goodbye to you."

Puck squeezed her hand and stayed silent. "Is there something you want to tell me Noah?" she asked now looking straight at him.

"Don't get mad," he pleaded nervously.

"I'll try my best," she said rubbing his right cheek.

He looked down and took a deep breath; he didn't want to look in her eyes. "I'm joining the army with Finn," he blurted out.

The room elapsed into an awkward silence, the only sounds where the low volume of the television and Beth playing and talking to herself.

"You said you couldn't imagine yourself going to Iraq or Afghanistan, you said California looked already too far from us," was the first thing Shelby said.

"I know but…"

"You almost died, and you want to put yourself in danger again? What about Beth? What about me?"

He cupped her face in his hands, but she moved it aside, she didn't want to meet his gaze. "You said you would never do anything like this."

Noah shushed her; he didn't want Beth to get scared because Shelby was raising her voice. "I might not be deployed; I might stay at the same post forever."

"Yes but I'll still have to live with the fear that one day they could send you away, and I can't deal with that, I have to stay strong for Beth, Rachel and myself."

"You're not supporting my decision," he asked with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I will support your decision," Shelby stated. "But not as your girlfriend."

* * *

><p>Not sure if this is the best moment announce this, but after next week's update there's going to be a two week hiatus, I'm going to a little trip, but as soon as I get back I'll update I promise.<p>

Can't wait to read your opinion about this chapter, enjoy was left of the weekend!


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: **Hey everybody here's chapter 30 and I'm going to take advantage of this A/N to clarify a few things about this fic, since one of you has a few concerns:

**First of all:** The reason why there were a couple of weeks when I didn't update was because during one of them I was sick, and because my Beta Reader needed a few days without being worried about sending something to me. I care for her so I was more than happy to do that for her since she has never asked me for a break. I was the one who decided it.

**Second:** I'm not, and I repeat I'm not losing any interest for this fanfic, and I'm not putting it aside for the other one I'm working on, actually the other one is still on development not even my BR knows what is it about.

**And last:** The next update will be the week of the 17th since is the week I'm returning from my trip. I won't promise I'll update on Monday, because I see it a little hard, but before that week is over you'll have another chapter I promise!

With all being said, I give you guys chapter 30.

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><p><strong>Chapter XXX<strong>

Shelby was sitting in her bed in her hotel room; Noah had just left a few minutes before. He had tried to explain the reasons why he wanted to go with Finn, but Shelby didn't want to listen to him at the moment, she had just asked him to leave and she was regretting that already. To her surprise Noah didn't seem upset when she told him she wasn't going to support his decision as his girlfriend, he looked sad, but she could tell he was ready for that type of reaction.

There was something about commitment that always scared Shelby a little bit, but most of the time, what scared her was how her previous boyfriends rushed into things too quickly. And then she met Noah, and he was the entire opposite of that, he never pressured into anything, not even to label their relationship. But the funny thing about it was that even without trying to push the other into something serious, they ended up involved in a very serious relationship.

But Shelby always had limits, and to her, having Noah in the army was one of them. She knew she would be worried every time the phone rang because she would always be expecting the worst. But the most frightening thing for her was Beth; that little girl and Rachel were her weak points, and she knew that it wouldn't matter how strong she tried to be, she knew she would lose it the moment Beth started to ask about him, or crying because he's only back for a few weeks and then he has to leave again. Of course Noah would be crushed too, but it would be her who had to comfort her daughter.

"Mom?" called Rachel entering the room. She kneeled and hugged Beth who had ran to her as soon as she heard the familiar voice. Rachel noticed Beth was sniffing softly so she picked her up and placed her on her hip. "Why do you have a sad face, little star?"

"Daddy left," she replied simply.

"Oh," Rachel nodded. "Don't worry Bee, I'm sure you'll see him very soon." She walked to the bed where her mom was sitting.

"Hi," she said to her quietly.

"You didn't have to come here," sighed Shelby; she knew Rachel was leaving with her and Beth soon and she imagined Hiram and Leroy wanted to enjoy the time left with their girl before she had leave for college.

"Don't try to act tough in front of me, you know I don't like it," Rachel ordered. "Besides you're my mom. I can come and visit you anytime I want."

Shelby laughed at Rachel's tone and gestured for her to take a seat next to her. Almost immediately Rachel rested her head on Shelby's right shoulder and Beth sat herself down on her big sister's lap. It was a very adorable picture.

"So, what happened? I mean after he told you he's leaving with Finn, did you try to stop him?" asked Rachel.

Shelby shook her head. "I reminded him of what he said after graduation, then he explained why he wants to join the army. It was a valid reason, but that didn't make it any less dangerous. I assured him I will support him…"

"But not as his girlfriend," recalled Rachel. "And what does that mean? What's going to happen between the three of you, Beth is part of this relationship too."

"We said a while ago that if for any particular reason we decided to not be together, we'll still do our best to get along for Beth," explained Shelby. "Noah will always be part of our family."

"The thing is, you were the one who decided not to be with him, it wasn't mutual," Rachel pointed out, locking eyes with her mother.

Shelby didn't say a word.

"I know you're scared, but if you ask me you shouldn't just drop everything because he's joining the army. It's not the same situation like when I was with Finn, you and Noah shared something much stronger," she went on.

Shelby was about to say something against Rachel's argument but she stopped her one more time. "My opinion about this won't matter in the end. Noah loves you both so much he wouldn't mind stepping away."

She paused and looked at her mother with a serious look in her eyes. "You once told me I would never get the lead in the musical if I played it safe. Well mom I don't think you'll ever find true happiness if you play it safe."

Rachel noticed the sad look in Shelby's eyes and felt bad for saying that. "Sorry."

"It was a valid argument Rachel, you're right. I guess we all try our best to play it safe every time we have the opportunity," acknowledged Shelby.

They stay silent because Rachel's phone went off. She checked her text message and replied to it quickly before turning her attention back to Shelby. "You have no idea how happy I am about going with you and Beth to New York. I love my daddies but they'll get so sentimental if they go with me," she chuckled. "They've been all over the place and we're just packing."

When Rachel heard her mother laughing she started to feel more relieved. "Would you and Beth like to join us tonight for dinner?" she proposed excited.

"We'd love too," smiled Shelby.

* * *

><p>"I know I'm pretty awesome but I can tell that sad face has nothing to do with this being your last session of physical therapy," said a voice behind Puck.<p>

He turned around and saw Alice smiling at him. "Yeah well, you're right."

She took a seat next to him. "You miss your friends who just left?" she asked knowingly.

"Yeah that too," Noah answered. "Let's put it this way; I think I'm single now and I'm just here waiting for Finn to pick me up."

Alice raised her eyebrows. "What happened?"

"The army, it's too much for her to deal with, I guess. She said she would support me but not as my girlfriend," he explained to her.

"Just show up at her door step wearing your uniform," she said simply trying not to laugh.

Noah gave her a confused look in response.

"We love a man in uniform," she laughed as Noah began to chuckle. "But honestly, my advice is to not stop trying and, well, whatever happens in the end, she will always be a part of your life, so you will never lose her."

Alice got up and offered him a hug. "I'm always happy when our patients are discharged for good, but if I'm attached to them it's always a bittersweet feeling. You will stay in touch, right?"

"Promise," he stated lifting he up a little.

"I'm gonna miss you, but I never ever want to see you here. If you want to catch up with me or something we can go and have a cup of coffee somewhere," smiled Alice.

One week later, Shelby, Beth and Rachel were leaving for New York and neither Shelby nor Noah had contacted the other. He was busy talking with the army recruiter and getting ready to leave a few weeks after everybody else. They were going to be established at Fort Sill in Oklahoma for 10 weeks. He was sitting on the couch at his house trying to distract himself with the television but what he really wanted to do was to go to the airport and say goodbye. But he knew it would be better if he just stayed away. He had called Beth the night before and sang to her until she fell asleep, but sadly when he tried to talk to Shelby she excused herself and hung up.

He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard the doorbell. When he opened it his eyes widened in shock, but the person on the other side just rolled his eyes and smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Puck asked.

"Well you don't have a car, and I thought you might like a ride to the airport. I think going with me is better than waiting until Rachel shows up here and drags you there from your ears, don't you think?" said Jesse.

"Going with you is better," agreed Noah with a smile. "It's good to see you again."

Jesse patted him on the shoulder. "It's good to see you too, but let's go we don't have that much time to catch them."

The ride to the airport was quiet at the beginning. Puck didn't know what to say to Jesse; he thought he was upset with him, but there he was taking him to the airport. Jesse St. James was helping him. "Why are you doing this?" he finally asked.

"I told you, you don't have a car, and I'm better company than Rachel. If she was here, she would probably be giving you a speech about love or some other thing," Jesse answered, never removing his eyes from the road.

Puck remained silent after that. Jesse saw from the corner of his eyes, a mixture of fear and frustration. He cleared his throat and made a turn not too far ahead. "I don't think you made the wrong choice when you decided to join the army."

Since Noah didn't respond Jesse continued talking:

"I admire you and Finn for doing this, I takes a lot of guts to do something like that when you know how high the chances of being deployed are." He paused and checked his watch. "And in case you're wondering, I'm not angry at you."

Puck smiled. "Thanks."

"So you know what you're going to say?" Jesse teased him.

"Should I beg her to stay with me?" laughed Puck.

Jesse shrugged as he drove the car into the airport parking lot. "Although I would enjoy seeing you made a fool of yourself in the middle of an airport," he started, "I think you should just talk to her, and tell her how you feel."

They arrived at the entrance and found Rachel and Shelby, who was wearing an annoyed expression on her face; apparently they were waiting for Jesse who for some odd reason was running late, something that never happened. Jesse pushed Puck forward a little. "Go," he ordered.

Noah walked up to her and gently rested his hand on one of her shoulders, which caused her to jump at his touch. "Hey," he said softly.

Rachel smiled and made her way to where Jesse was standing to give them some privacy. "Can we talk?"

"We have to go, our plane is leaving soon." She tried to walk away from him but Noah grabbed one of her hands. "Please, it will only take one minute, I promise."

Shelby stood up in front of him; arms crossed looking straight at him. Noah looked troubled, like he was trying to find the right words to say but he wasn't having any luck. He just rolled her eyes and kissed her. He left his forehead pressing against hers for a couple of seconds. "Bye Noah."

He pulled away from her. "I'll call you guys soon alright? I love you."

She didn't say it back, but he knew she still felt it. He walked over to Beth and kissed her forehead. He had forgotten the last time he was so happy to see his little girl sleeping so soundly; he didn't think he could take saying goodbye to her again. He hugged Rachel and waited with Jesse until they crossed the gate.

"I thought you were leaving with them," said Puck as he and Jesse climb back into his SUV.

"I'm driving there in a couple of days. I though you were going to say something romantic and, I don't know, get down on one knee or something."

"I wanted to, but it's not the right moment," Noah confessed.

* * *

><p>"Hannah! Hannah c'mon open the door and talk to me!" Noah yelled for what seemed the billionth time that week. Ever since he had told his family he was leaving with Finn, Hannah had been so upset that she decided not to talk to her brother. He was leaving that weekend and Hannah still hadn't said a word to him and he was running out of ideas to get her attention. He had bought her chocolates and CD's but every single treat he gave her, she just left it at his bedroom door.<p>

"Look, I'm going out I'll be back in a few okay? And maybe we can talk then?"

No answer.

"Okay then," he yelled one last time, before leaving the house.

Hours later he return to his sister's bedroom door and tried to convince her to talk again. "I think I finally understand Han, you're gonna miss the mess I make around the house right?" he joked trying to lighten the mood.

"Look I bought something very special for you, and I'm just going to leave it here," he dropped the present on the floor. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Hannah stayed in her room sitting on her bed. She didn't want to see her brother; she couldn't believe he was leaving for the army, she never imagined he would do something like that to her and their mom. She tried to understand him; he didn't want to put the pressure of paying for college tuition on the family, and even if he worked and studied, he probably would spend a long time paying it off after he graduated.

She got distracted when she heard a scrapping on her door. When she opened it she found a little puppy sitting down waiting for her. She smiled with awe and picked it up, before running down the stairs.

"Who's this?" she asked Noah trying to hide her interest at the newest member of the family.

"He doesn't have a name yet, he's a lab and I thought he might help make a mess while I'm not around and he could you know keep the house safe and stuff and keep you company," he shrugged flipping though the channels.

Hannah put the dog on the floor and went to the couch and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay, I understand why you acted like that, now let's give this little guy a name. Pick one Han."

She pursued her lips. "What about Lupin?" Hannah was a huge Harry Potter fan and Noah constantly made fun of her because of that, but whenever he found himself bored without anything special to do he always asked her to watch one of the movies together.

He looked at the dog and laughed. "I like it, it suits him. Lupin it is!"

"You think mom will be mad at you for buying him?" Hannah asked as she placed the puppy on the couch with her.

"Nah, don't worry about that," he assured her. "She'll look at this cutie and won't have the courage to kick him out."

When the weekend arrived Carole, Deborah, Burt and Hannah drove Finn and Puck to the bus station. They insisted they could take them to Oklahoma, but they convinced them not to, since it would be harder for them to say goodbye. Each one of them said their respective goodbyes to their families. Noah hugged Hannah and picked her up from the floor.

"You be good alright? I'll call you as often as I can and I'll see you in ten weeks," he whispered in her ear.

She nodded and kissed him on the cheek. His mother hugged him and told him a Jewish prayer, before kissing him on the forehead. Puck and Finn waved goodbye from the bus one last time, before it hit the road.

When they arrived at Fort Sill the registered themselves, and just before heading to the place they would be living for the next ten weeks Noah asked if he could make a phone call. He dialed the number and listened to the phone ring, until it went to voice mail. He wanted to leave her a message but he knew it would be better if he didn't.

Seeing Finn without his hair definitely made the beginning of basic training more fun. Puck just wanted time to go fast, he needed to see Shelby again, but he decided to try his best not to think about her, because it would made him lose focus. During his first night at Fort Sill he couldn't sleep, and back in New York Shelby couldn't either.

* * *

><p>That's all for now and in case you skipped my AN at the beginning (I know is boring to read that sometimes hahaha!) I'll say it again I'm updating the week of the 17th. Before that week is over you'll have your respective update!

Love you all, and I'll read you guys soon!


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: **Hello again! I'm back I said I'D update before the week was over, and is still Sunday, at least over here. Sorry for the lack of Noah in this chapter but I really wanted to write something like this and I hope you enjoy it.

Can't believe I forgot to thank you in my last update **BadassMotherShucker94 **THANK YOU and yes I cannot believe we've been doing this for 31 chapters. I hope you are still having fun!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXXI<strong>

"Hi you've reached Shelby and Beth, we can't talk right now so please leave a message after the beep and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!"

"Hey Shelby, it's Noah, how're you? Yeah stupid question I know, please pick up the phone. Rachel told me you were going to be there at this time today. Can we just try and talk for a second? Please?" Puck sighed, feeling defeated. "Let's try and work things out, we deserve another chance, don't you think? I love you. Look we still have two weeks left, then we have family day and graduation and I'd love to see you and Beth there, I'll try to call you again next week, but if I can't I hope I see you soon."

Shelby listened till end of the message with her hand resting just a few inches from the phone, but instead of picking up she pressed the "delete" button and the message was gone just a soon as it had arrived. Shelby knew she and Noah had agreed they would get along for Beth, but she still didn't feel ready to talk to him. "I know that was daddy," she said to Beth who was still wearing an excited expression on her face after recognizing her father's voice.

Shelby poured some coffee into her mug and returned to her dining table, where she was finishing some work. "Don't worry Bee, two more weeks and you'll see dadda again," she assured her daughter, smiling sadly.

"Where's Kurt?" Santana asked as she poured some milk in her coffee mug.

"He had a last minute situation at school so he had to stay," explained Rachel as she tried to understand the drink Brittany had ordered. It was some sort of ice coffee with a lot of whipped cream and sprinkles. Rachel, who just enjoyed a simple coffee with some milk, found it disgusting.

Jesse joined the girls at the table just a few seconds later. "Here you go," he said to Rachel placing a large cup of coffee in front of her. "I have to admit Brittany I was so curious about your order that I had to buy one for myself."

"You won't regret it," she said smiling.

Ever since they had all started their respective schools, they had started to hang out, until they all became friends. Even though at the beginning they all wanted to get the hell out of Ohio, they learned that New York was a big contrast to Lima, and they started to feel nostalgic about their home. Not so much the city per se, but the people they learned to care about, so it was nice to have people from there so close.

"So, how is Noah? I mean we've talked a couple of times, but it always seemed too rushed, to actually find out something important." Jesse shrugged. "And I could tell he was only calling…."

"To see if he could somehow talk to Shelby?" finished Santana, earning a nod in response from him. "Yeah that's basically what's going on, he's trying to fix this mess and I'm kinda glad they're kicking his ass in basic training, that way he doesn't have time to feel all down and stuff… so in a way he's doing fine." She took a sip from her drink. "And Shelby, how's she doing? Britt and I have seen her, but she makes a point not to discuss Puck or anything that might lead to him being brought up."

"Yeah, she can hide her feelings when she wants to. Just like she can put a fantastic show face on when she needs too. Now you guys know where she" said Jesse leaning his head closer to Rachel's, "got that show face from."

They laughed.

"But she's the same with us, even when it's just me it's almost like she's truly closed that chapter with Noah, or at least that's what she wants us to believe," said Rachel with a frustrated expression all over her face.

"That's stupid," Brittany said simply.

"Britt is right," nodded Santana. She reached for Rachel's muffin at the other side of the table and took a piece of it, which earned her a deathly glare from the couple in front of her, but just a seconds later they started laughing at her.

"Ugh you two are so cute it's annoying," teased Santana rolling her eyes, pretending to be upset.

"You guys are thinking too much," said Brittany once again breaking the silence.

The three of them focused their attention on the blonde, since none of them had a clue about what to do about this situation; and they all cared for Puck and Shelby so they couldn't really take a specific side. And this was more complicated than when Noah was at McKinley and Shelby was working there. This wasn't just about keeping a secret anymore; this was about making them talk to each other properly.

Rachel reached a point when she thought that maybe they just needed to yell at each other, just to find a way to express whatever was running through their minds. She loved her mother and she could tell she wasn't doing as fine as she was trying to make her believe. After all she had fallen in love with the biological father of her daughter. And Rachel could see that just looking at Beth reminded Shelby of Noah, and it made her sad, and Rachel just couldn't take that anymore.

Since they didn't seem to have any good plan, why shouldn't they listen to Brittany? Maybe the solution was simple and that's why they hadn't thought of it yet.

"Puck and Shelby just need to see each other again, so they can't make up some excuse about the phone not working or something," explained Brittany.

Santana finished eating Rachel's muffin. "Well that's easy right? We'll just all go to the family day at Fort Sill."

"She doesn't want to go," said Rachel. "Actually she 'can't go' and she's already done all the paperwork so I could take Beth with me."

"That's stupid," repeated Brittany.

"We know!" the three of them chanted at once.

Jesse gave them all a serious look, but he was wearing a small grin on his face. "I guess we just have to change her mind."

* * *

><p>The following days all of them, including Kurt, made sure to bother Shelby at every moment possible. Santana and Brittany showed up at her house, Kurt and Jesse waited for her and surprised her after work, Rachel went with her to pick up Beth from Day Care, and even Quinn was constantly calling her. All of them had the same propose:<p>

"So Shelby your table looks a lot emptier now, I guess you don't have that much work these days," said Santana trying to show indifference. "I imagine you're coming with us to Fort Sill right?"

"I'm busy that weekend, I can't go," she politely explained to the girl.

"Shelby you can't leave all the responsibility of taking care of Beth to Rachel and me. We just started dating again, it's like throwing a bomb at me, and you know how much questions she would ask me? 'How many kids do you want Jesse, and how long until you want to get marry Jesse. I've already picked up my dress, I've known what design I've wanted since I was five!'" Jesse protested, with a panicked expression. He stopped her from walking around him and locked eyes with her. "You have to go."

Shelby laughed. "I'm sure Rachel won't ask you those things, I remember her saying that she doesn't want kids until she has won her first Tony award," she recalled with her index finger resting on her chin. "But if it helps Quinn will be there too, I'm pretty sure she would love to help you two to take care of Beth," she patted him on the cheek. "It'll be fine."

"Mom please, just go he'll be devastated if he doesn't see you," Rachel pleaded as she adjusted Beth in her car chair.

Shelby waited until Rachel was in the passenger seat to talk. "He'll see Beth, trust me he'll be fine."

Rachel scoffed and looked through the window. "Yeah just as fine as you are," she mumbled hoping her mother wouldn't listen.

"What did you say?" Shelby asked with a suspicious look on her face.

"You heard me," Rachel sighed with a worried expression.

* * *

><p>With only three days left before graduation everyone started to lose hope, but one of them was going to try one last time. Shelby heard four knocks on her door, and she couldn't help but grunt with frustration.<p>

"I swear Beth if it's one of your lovely aunts or uncles I'll just slam the door on their noses, I love them but I can't stand any of them right now," she said getting up from her couch.

But the person who was on the other side of the door definitely surprised Shelby. "Quinn!" exclaimed Shelby. "It's so good to see you, please come in."

"Hi Shelby," smiled Quinn. "It's good to see you too." She made her way inside the apartment and kneeled down to hug the toddler who was running towards her.

"Quinnie!" Beth shrieked, falling into her arms.

Quinn kissed Beth's head and played with her hair. "Bee, you are so big, how are you?"

"Good," she mumbled smiling, before grabbing Quinn's hand. "Come and see my toys."

Quinn immediately looked at Shelby, waiting for a sign of approval. She still felt a little insecure when it came to having a relationship with her daughter, but Shelby just nodded laughing. "It's fine Quinn, go," she encouraged her. "I'll wait for you two right here. Have fun"

Minutes later they returned and joined Shelby in the living room. "I see you showed Quinn your new favorite stuffed animal," Shelby pointed out, noticing Beth was dragging a lion with her.

Beth replied roaring like a lion and shaking her head.

"She's doing great," laughed Quinn as she continued to watch how Beth ran around the place roaring.

"She is," agreed Shelby. "What brings you here so unexpectedly?"

Quinn fixed some of her hair. "Oh, sorry I didn't call before but I'm going to Puck and Finn's graduation. I was planning to go straight there, but I have a few days off college and I wanted to see that little troublemaker, and Rachel said I could crash with her and Kurt, so here I am," she explained simply.

"I see," Shelby nodded, deep inside suspecting something else. "And how's school doing, do you like drama school?"

"I do, I love Yale. It was hard at first cause it's a huge difference from going to McKinley, and I was very nostalgic at first since I was all alone over there but I'm more used to it now."

Shelby could tell college was changing Quinn, it had only been a few months but she was showing a different vibe, like an urge to make every moment of this new experience last. She wanted to hear every detail of her first few months at college; Shelby was very proud of Quinn.

"And…" continued Shelby, raising an eyebrow. "How many hearts have you broken so far?"

Quinn burst into laughter, but she was obviously blushing. "There's this guy, Evan. I met him because I walked in to the wrong class, he's studying music and I don't know what's going to happen but I like him." She paused and turned serious. "Rachel told me you're not going to Fort Sill with us."

"I can't I have too much work," stated Shelby, for what like she felt it was the billionth time. She expected she would get used to the lie, but it still hurt her.

Quinn sighed. "You can lie to anyone, even Rachel but not to me. You still have feelings for Noah that's why you don't want to go?"

Shelby stayed quiet.

"Shelby you two must make a decision, whether it's being together or not and get through this. The three of us we are connected for life and we have to be there for each other during our best moments and our worst. You went to Lima when I was a disaster and talked to me, and most importantly, you forgave me for everything I did, and then you went to my graduation and I could tell how proud you were." She cleared her throat. "I know it was him who helped you to deal with me back then, now I'm going to return the gesture and ask you to go, because it will mean the world to him."

* * *

><p>Family day is the most anticipated one during basic training because the cadets are finally allowed to interact with their loved ones after ten weeks. It starts with a presentation of what they have learned during their time at the fort and then the real fun begins, because it's time to find the families in a sea of dressed soldiers. Hannah was the first one who found Noah.<p>

"Big brother!" she yelled clinging to his neck.

"Han! I freaking missed you," he whispered in her ear hugging her and lifting her up from the floor.

"Are you taller?" she asked analyzing her brother's body.

Noah chuckled. "Not sure Han, maybe a little, where are the others?"

Santana and Brittany hugged him from both sides of his body making him jump in surprise. "Here," they said at once before kissing him.

Puck could feel himself tearing up a little; he had missed them all so much. He knew if he had gone to California he would have missed them too, but in boot camp communication is limited and it made him realize that maybe he took for granted the simple things like hanging out with Santana and laughing with Brittany.

He got distracted when he heard a few familiar voices. "Make some room! Deborah wants to hug her son," said Carole followed by Kurt, Finn and Burt.

"Hey mom," said Noah hugging her.

"You are taller!" she told him. "I missed you so much but it's good to see you doing this well, you look like you've grown during these past weeks."

"I feel older," he admitted. And it was true. Finn and Noah looked different, more mature and the way they moved and expressed things had changed; they seemed more poised and serious. And there was a glimpse of pride and excitement in their eyes.

Puck looked around expecting to find the ones he wanted to see the most, but he had no luck. It seemed like all his efforts weren't enough. He was about to ask about them when a pair of tiny hands covered his eyes and a lightweight was placed on his shoulders. "Dadda!"

Noah picked her up and hugged his little girl. "There you are! I was starting to feel nervous for a minute," he kissed and lifted Beth up. "You are so big monkey face." He smiled and turned around.

"Congratulations Noah," said Rachel walking towards him to hug him. He returned the hug and saw Quinn and Jesse standing not too far behind.

"Hey Q'! Jesse!" He opened his arms and they ended up sharing a big group hug

After they broke the embrace Puck finally asked:

"And Shelby?"

"She couldn't make it, she tried but she's very busy with her job," Rachel lied. "But she wishes you the best."

Puck tried his best to hide the disappointment in his eyes. "Oh, well thank you so much for bringing this cutie," he said placing Beth again on his shoulders.

As they all walked together towards the fields exit Quinn felt her cellphone buzzing. She picked it up from her purse and glanced at the name "Shelby Corcoran" on the screen. She immediately went over to Puck and gave it to him.

"Pick it up," she ordered.

"Hello?" he answered.

The line stayed silent.

"Shelb? Is that you?" he asked walking away from the group. "Please say something."

She sighed nervously. "Hi Noah."

It was her, it was her voice and he smiled like a goof at its sound. "Hi Shelby!"

The excitement in his voice made her smile; she could tell he had missed her. "Sorry I didn't go I was…" she started, although she wanted to tell him the truth.

"Busy I know, is okay," he assured her hurriedly. "I miss you and you have no idea how great is to hear your voice again."

"I... I miss you too Noah."

* * *

><p>That's it, enjoy The Emmy's if you are gonna watch them, in case you are still watching it enjoy Glee next Thursday. But most importantly have a nice week, and I'll be back next Monday.<p> 


	32. Chapter 32

**Important Author's Note: **The main purpose of this A/N is to tell you that there's a chance I won't update next week and I'll explain briefly why. Here where I live we are having presidential elections on Sunday and there's a chance something bad might happen after we get the results that means I'll have to leave my house on Monday morning, which also means no Internet.

So I want to apologize in case that happens because I hate being inconsistent.

As always thank you so much to one of the most important pieces of this fic aka: **BadassMotherShucker94** without her help I wouldn't be able to update each week!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXXII<strong>

_(9 months later)_**  
><strong>

"C'mon you look like the type of guy who likes to dance!" a woman insisted for the third time that night.

Puck offered her a smile. "Thanks, but I'll pass."

"Perhaps you'll change your mind when you have a few drinks in you?" She smirked, leaning in closer to him; she smelled like some sort of fruit cocktail and perfume.

"Sure, why not?" He laughed slightly before grabbing the drinks he had ordered for him and his friends at the table.

It was always the same, ever since he and Finn had started living at the post. On their first weekend there the other soldiers took Noah and Finn to a bar not too far from their location; it was a tradition they had with the new guys. What they didn't know was that those bars were filled with women who couldn't resist staring at a guy who had the distinctive attitude of a soldier.

At first Puck did his best to avoid them not because he didn't like them, it was because he still felt obligated to be faithful to Shelby and Beth. After all he was doing all that to be the type of guy they deserved in their life, although that perspective was gradually changing and it was becoming more like being the type of male figure Beth deserved in her life, and it all started the first time he went to the bar and a girl tried to make a move on him:

"So you are a soldier?" she started as an attempt to chat with Noah who was patiently waiting for his turn at the bar.

He nodded and smiled politely at her.

"Care to join me for a drink? I'm the only one of my friends who doesn't have a date tonight."

He looked to the opposite end of the bar where the girl was pointing and saw a table with a group of people. "Sorry I can't," he said reaching out for his drinks.

The girl frowned and looked carefully at his hands. "Girlfriend?"

"Not exactly," he replied.

She grunted with frustration. "Then I don't get it, cause I don't see a wedding ring on your hand." She grabbed her drink and went back to her table.

In that moment something clicked for him and it almost hurt him. It was time for him to understand that Shelby didn't have any intentions of being with him again, she had made it clear and to her it didn't matter if she had to put her own feelings aside, Shelby was used to doing those sorts of things, and deep inside Puck couldn't blame her for coming to that decision. Of course Puck was still hoping he could have a knight in shinning armor moment and appear at her door and solve everything with one kiss, like in the movies, but he still didn't know if that could ever happen. He wasn't allowed to travel anywhere too far from his post, but at least he could talk to his loved ones with more frequency, than when he was in basic training. He skyped with most of his friends and Beth and that help them to cope with his routine and his constant waiting for any update status' from his unit.

But Noah was sure of some things at the same time: He was young, handsome and yeah he might be heartbroken and maybe he didn't know how long it would be until he was over Shelby Corcoran, but that woman at the bar was a good start, and in the end Puck knew that as long as he kept his act together, he would still be a part of Beth's life and that was the most important thing.

Noah shook his head and followed the woman who had approached him about dancing. He needed to do something that at least could let him forget his last conversation with Shelby for a while:

"I miss you too Noah."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Please Shelby let's work things out, we still want to be together, don't we? Please give us another chance."

"I can't Noah, this isn't only about me, it's about Beth too." He turned around and watched how Beth was laughing at Finn's goofy faces. "She's the most fragile part of our relationship, and is the one who suffers the most when you're not here. You know that if you were in California things might be different," she sighed. "But I can't raise a child knowing her father is in constant danger, we never agreed to that. If something affects me, it affects her too."

Rachel could see Noah shaking his head firmly and gripping his cellphone so tightly she thought he was going to break it. "You'll be fine Noah, we're still family," Shelby assured him with sadness.

"I love you."

Shelby smiled. "I love you too."

But now, back in the present nothing had changed. He still missed and he loved her, but he was feeling too defeated to try again, so he just started having causal encounters with girls he met in the bar, as a way of forgetting what he truly needed.

* * *

><p>"Puck!" Santana yelled from the other side of the screen. "Oh my God hi!"<p>

He smiled and sat down. "Hey San."

"We miss you, even the cat misses you," she said with sadness. "You look tired."

"I had a long day," he explained simply.

Santana raised an eyebrow. Noah looked tired, but not necessarily because he had a long day, he looked like he hadn't sleep properly in a few days. "Just because we don't live as close together anymore doesn't mean everything's gonna change, it's still me."

"I feel empty Santana," he confessed.

She smiled with sadness at her friend. "You miss her."

"This goes beyond that. It's like I need her, nothing is worth trying if I can't talk to her about it. I miss everything about her."

"Puck calm down," Santana coaxed. "I know, okay. I know you're just going through some stuff and you feel nostalgic, now more than ever since you're living by yourself right?"

"Yeah," he sighed as he buried his face in his hands. "You know, even when I have days like today when I just get sad because I miss my family and that includes you," he smiled, "a part of me is kind of glad Shelby didn't want to be with me. Life here is a little boring and she belongs in New York, I couldn't just push her into living here at the post with me."

Santana was about to say something but she noticed how Puck was about to say something else. "But there's also this part of me that doesn't want her to be with someone else. I don't want any other guy near her, and I don't want to see Beth calling some random guy 'daddy' cause I want to be that, her husband and Beth's father."

"Well, when are you finally going to get your ass here, and say all that to her?!" Santana snapped.

Puck shrugged, it was what he wanted the most. "It's not that easy, Finn and I aren't allowed to go too far yet."

Santana shook her head in frustration. "Did you tell him about our plan Sannie?" Brittany asked, and she just whispered a "No" in response.

"What plan?" asked Noah now very interested.

Both girls kept talking to each other ignoring Noah. "What plan?" he yelled.

"Chill Puck jeez," Santana teased him. "Listen carefully."

A few days later, when Puck was done with training he found one of his superior's wife sitting by herself. "Mind if I join you ma'am?" he asked politely.

"Well hello PFC Puckerman," she smiled. "Please sit down, I could use some company for a change."

Her name was Natalie, she was married to Sargent Lawson, and they had been together for a little more than ten years. Noah admired her, she reminded him of his mother in some ways, because she had two children; a boy and a girl and there were lots of moments when she had to be mother and father for both of them because the Sargent was on a mission over seas.

"Can I ask you something? And if you think it's too personal you don't have to answer," he told her.

"Of course you can," she encouraged him. "Don't be shy you know we're like a big family here."

"I, um," he started still feeling insecure. "Did you always feel sure about being with the Sargent?"

Natalie started to laugh, as she remembered how she felt back at that time. "No! We were high school sweethearts, we both grew up in a small town and he was eighteen when he told me he wanted to join the army."

"What did you do?" continued Noah.

"I dumped him," she laughed. "I thought it was for the best, and well I went to college and we didn't hear from each other in three years, but a part of me didn't want to get over him."

"Like you wanted to share every important thing in your life with him?"

Natalie looked at Noah and smiled. "Exactly, but I didn't have any idea where he was and one day he just showed up at my dorm smiling and that day I knew I couldn't let him go again."

Her expression changed suddenly and she looked more serious. "Of course things haven't always been easy for us," she said as she played with her wedding ring. "And I never get over the fear when I see him leaving, and I wish he could be here with the kids as long as he wants to, but I couldn't see myself with anyone else."

Noah remained silent, smiling because he liked what he had heard. "Who is she?"

He turned his face and gave her a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

"The girl? I'm assuming you are asking all this because of a girl," smiled Natalie.

He just shrugged. "Yeah well, she kinda dumped me, see it's a very complicated story. But I guess I just wanted to see if we still have a chance."

"It's never too late," Natalie stated before getting up from her seat. "It's just fear, but in the end we'd rather have someone to face the scary situations with, than be alone Noah."

That afternoon when Noah returned to his apartment he immediately turned on the computer and try to call Rachel on Skype.

"Noah what a surprise!" she exclaimed with a smile on her face.

"I know this is unexpected, I hope I'm not interrupting something important," he said almost apologizing.

Rachel laughed. "No your timing's perfect, I just finished my singing practice. I've missed you how's everything going over there? Do you know when you're going to be allowed to visit us? Bee misses you so much Noah."

"I know I miss each one of you too, but I still don't know anything about visits right now," he paused. "Look Rachel I want to talk to you about something very important."

* * *

><p>Days after that Shelby was arriving back at her house, when an unexpected guest opened the main door for her. "Don't freak out Tom let me in, besides we're family right? Jesse grinned.<p>

She glared at Tom who just shrugged and smiled. "I was bored, Beth's asleep and we were talking; besides I'm a little worried about you."

"What do you mean?" she asked trying not to lose her temper; she was tired of everyone around her forcing her to talk about things she really didn't want to.

"All this, your attitude. Shelby you are not happy, Jesse came because he thought you might listen to me."

"I love you Shelb, but I know I'm still a kid, and so is Rachel and they are things you don't feel comfortable sharing with us, so I asked Tom for his help," he explained walking to the door. "I'll leave you guys alone."

As soon as the door was closed Tom poured some wine for him and Shelby, and guided her to the dining table. He wanted her to calm down a little; he could tell she was very tense. He waited until Shelby had taken a sip of her glass before talking:

"I could see it too, you were burying yourself in your work, I just didn't say anything because I know how you are, but I also know how you're feeling Shelby, it took me a while but now I understand."

"No you don't," she refuted.

"Please? Listen to me," he ordered with a straight face. "Shelby, I don't blame you for feeling upset about everything regarding Noah. You've spent so much time trying so hard not fall for him, because everyone says it's wrong or because it could be too complicated. But love is love and you couldn't help it. And after all the troubles you had it seemed like you couldn't be together even after he was out of high school."

Shelby ran her hands through her hair and just fixed her eyes on her glass of wine.

"And you just feel it was a waste of time, of everything and you feel upset about it, you're even upset with him! But I need to ask you something. Have you taken the time to feel sad about how everything turned out? Or to even feel scared about what could happen to him?"

She could feel her lips trembling slightly and a knot forming in her throat. Tom just got up from his chair and hugged her tightly, letting her get rid of all the feelings she was trying to bury down. "I know you have the bad habit of staying strong for the ones you love, but this it's not good for you either."

"I hate him, I hate him!" She mumbled with her face against Tom's shoulder almost sounding like Rachel.

"I know you don't," he whispered stroking her hair smiling a little.

It was Sunday, which meant Puck didn't have to train, but he still got up early since he was now used to that. He went to the kitchen and started to make some coffee from himself. Once it was ready he added some milk to it and went to sit down, but something at the door of his apartment caught his attention immediately. He picked up the envelope and read it twice; he left the coffee mug on the kitchen counter and ran to Finn's place where he knocked the door.

Finn opened the door with a straight face and showed the paper to Puck. "I know, I got one too."

* * *

><p>I'm so sorry I wasn't planning on ending the chapter like that especially since I don't know if I'll be able to update next Monday, but if everything goes normally where I live you'll have next chapter on Monday promise!<p>

But I'll give you a heads up, there's going to be a Shuck reunion, and since it's been a while and I found the perfect song for the situation, Noah will sing to Shelby.

Take care guys, and have a nice week.


	33. Chapter 33

Hi everybody I decided to leave this short Author's Note over here because I have a small dilemma. Chapter 33 is ready to be uploaded but right now I have a huge writer's block and I really don't want to finish this fanfic too abruptly just because I didn't have any more ideas.

I was thinking to split chapter 33 in two, that way I'll be able to update this week and the following one, and I'll have some time to come up with something. However my Beta Reader said it wasn't the most reasonable idea.

That's why I decided to leave it up to you, since I don't feel this is just my fanfic anymore, is yours too, because you read it.

What do you prefer? One long chapter or two medium ones? If no one leaves a suggestion I'll follow my Beta Reader's advice and I'll update tomorrow.

Take care.

_Luthiem Vardamir_


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Note: **Wow! I wasn't expecting to receive responses so quickly, here's my way to thank you. I hope you guys like it. Expect a cliffhanger towards the end.

Thank you to everyone on tumblr who took the time to leave a message and try to cheer me up after what happened here last Sunday. You didn't have to do that, but you still did, and that's was amazing.

As always a little reminder over here; **BadassMotherShucker94** is the best Beta Reader ever, and we wouldn't have 33 chapters and counting without her help. Thank you!

Last but not least, Noah's song in this chapter is called **"The Girl"** and its from **City and Colour** if anyone wants to check it out (I recommend to do it, it would help to picture the situation) here is a link: _watch?v=IqifiXC2kDw_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXXIII<strong>

"Expect more information soon," what does that mean? How soon?" Finn asked sitting on his couch inside his room with a newly-arrived Noah.

"Well…" Puck tried to answer as he quickly read the letter again; which didn't leave anything very clearly. "I guess over the next few days we are going to find out where we're going, for how long and when we're leaving."

They stayed in silence for a brief moment. "Are you scared?" Finn asked.

"A little," Puck laughed. "But at least we're allowed to visit our families before we leave."

"Finally!" Finn celebrated. "What are your plans? Ohio, then New York or New York first and then Ohio?"

"Yeah about that…" Puck started with a straight face. "I was thinking why don't you come with me?" he suggested pretending to be excited.

Finn looked at Noah with a straight face. "I don't know man, I really want to see my mom and Burt, plus don't you think it'll be weird. I mean Rachel will be there and…" he stopped talking and began to laugh all of the sudden. "Wait! I see what's going on here, you're scared of seeing Shelby aren't you?"

Puck shrugged. "Well of course. It's been a while and she's scary when she's angry."

"Look Puck, I get it. You don't know what you're going to say to her and that freaks you out, but remember you'll also be seeing Beth, and I think it's time for you two to resolve things for once and for all. You are my friend, more like my brother and I want you to be happy."

Puck sighed, he knew Finn was right. It was time to stop avoiding her and just tell her how he had been feeling over the last few months without her. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? Times Square, Pizza, Hot dogs?

"Seriously Puck? Are you more afraid of seeing Shelby than being deployed?" Finn teased.

"In my defense, you haven't seen her mad," retorted Noah.

Finn laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I was the lucky one. Look, I'm gonna start packing so I can leave for Ohio tomorrow, I'll see you there in a couple of days, right?"

"If Shelby doesn't kill me first," Puck answered.

* * *

><p>As soon as Santana found out Puck was able to leave his post she booked him on the first flight to New York. She was happy she was finally going to see her best friend, but most importantly she couldn't wait to put her plan into action. She was aware that Puck still wasn't very comfortable with it, but in the end she would be able to convince him, just like she always did.<p>

She smiled when she saw Noah crossing the gate; Santana sprinted and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Finally!"

"Aw you missed me that much?" he teased her, laughing.

"Shut up," she snapped before pulling away from him. They walked together over to where Brittany was standing waiting for them. Puck started to laugh when he read the sign she was holding. It said, "_We're waiting for our sexy soldier,"_ written in crayons and with a drawing of him in the corner.

When Brittany saw them she immediately ran and hugged Puck. "I missed you so much Britt," he told her lifting her up from the floor.

"Knock it off you two, I'm getting jealous over here," Santana laughed. "Let's go and find a cab, are you hungry Puck?"

He shrugged. "I'm more tired than hungry."

When they arrived at Santana and Brittany's apartment Noah sat down on the floor. They didn't have a lot of furniture, just a small couch, a bean bag and a small table with two chairs, which was covered with papers that Puck assumed were Santana's. He liked it though, it was still cozy and he was more than happy when they let him crash with them.

"Do you want some Lucky Charms?" Brittany offered him smiling. "You can have the cereal I only like the marshmallows."

He grabbed the box and poured some cereal for them in the bowl Brittany had brought with her.

"So Puck we'd love to give you the typical tour, you know Central Park and all that crap, but we know why you're here," Santana told him from the kitchen.

Puck took a deep breath as he laid his body on the cool floor. "She doesn't know I'm here, I couldn't call her."

Brittany smirked. "That's how we planned it." She got up and took out her cellphone from her hoodie. "I'm gonna call Bobby and the guys, I'll tell them to call after rehearsal."

Noah stayed on the floor completely confused, just staring at Brittany who was speaking eagerly on the phone, skipping around the living room. "Sannie, Bobby asks if we would like some food."

She locked eyes with Puck. "Your pick pizza, chinese?"

Puck smiled. "Can we have subs?"

"Sure! No problem," a voice answered from the speaker, Puck imagined it belonged to Bobby.

"Guys I'm not sure about this plan. The easiest thing to do would be to go over and talk to her," sighed Noah.

Santana took a seat in front of him. She stared at him silently, and waited until he was about to open his mouth again to speak before smacking him on the head.

"What was that for?" he whined rubbing his head with his right hand.

"You think you know what's for the best, but I don't think you do. You haven't been around for nine months, nine months! Trust us okay?"

"But just in case we're placing bets to see who can guess Shelby's reaction," Brittany added smiling as she ate some marshmallows.

"Great," he muttered when he heard three knocks on the door. The first person who came through the door was Kurt who immediately hugged him. "Hi Kurt!" Puck yelled. "It's so good to see you!"

"Food's here!" the other two guys chanted making their way to the kitchen. They started to talk with Brittany and Santana but they became quiet when they noticed Puck in the living room.

"You must be Noah! Nice to meet you I'm Sam," one of the guys said.

Puck got up and shook his hand. "How do you know who I am?"

"Oh we all know who you are!" the other guy interrupted. "I'm Bobby by the way," he chuckled when he saw Puck's panicked expression. "And I just realized that made us look like a bunch of creepers," Bobby gasped.

"I'm gonna start all over again, I'm Bobby and Sam and I are part of the ensemble of Bombshell, and no, we don't know who you are because Shelby complains about you in front of everybody. We're friends with Britt and Santana, but we first met Britt when she joined our dance class. Who would have guessed they're friends with Jesse and Rachel?"

"Turns out New York isn't that big," Sam laughed as he unpacked the food.

Puck and the girls joined him, while Bobby set some music on Brittany's iPod speakers. "So, Shelby is like your boss" Noah asked.

Bobby smiled as he sat down and grabbed his plate. "Sort off, our real boss is Derek but Shelby, she helps us with the songs; she's the one who makes sure we won't sound horrible," he paused to take a bite from his sandwich. "Did you choose a song?"

Noah rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I'm very rusted and I don't know…"

"C'mon are you trying to tell me that you sang to her in front of your classmates knowing that someone could suspect something, but you're afraid of singing in front of her now? I thought you were a badass?" Bobby teased him covering his mouth with his hand.

Puck raised one of his eyebrows and got up to pick up his guitar. "I'm not a badass I'm _the_ badass, are you guys going to help me or not?"

Sam raised a hand to stop Noah from speaking. "Hold up! First we need to hear the song, and then we'll decide."

* * *

><p>"Is everything ready?" Jesse asked, peeking his head inside the rehearsal room.<p>

Bobby walked towards him and nodded. "Yeah, and Rachel?"

"She's been with Shelby for about forty minutes so I doubt she'll suspect anything," Jesse closed the door and pulled out his cellphone. "Hey Shelby are you busy?"

"No, not really, why?" she asked him.

He chuckled nervously as he ran his hands through his hair; he needed to sound believable. "Well you see I left some important things inside the rehearsal room and everybody already left, and I'm really, really sorry to bother you, but could you come over and open the room? I'm very sorry Shelby."

Shelby looked around for her keys and grabbed them with her purse. "Don't worry Rachel is here, she can take care of Beth for a while."

"Thanks Shelby, and sorry again!"

Jesse went inside the room one last time; he wanted to talk with Noah. He walked over to where he was siting and patted him on the shoulder. "Nervous?"

"I don't know, more excited than nervous, I haven't see her in so long, it's like… I don't know," he laughed, embarrassed.

"A part of me wants to punch you in the face right now, but you two have done so much for the each other, I just want you guys to be happy and…" Jesse's phone started to ring.

"Shit," he yelled. "Take your places everybody!" He ran to other side of the room and hid with the rest of the group.

Shelby walked inside the room, cellphone in her left ear, frowning and grunting. "Jesse, where the fuck…" she started but she almost dropped her phone when she saw Noah entering the place and taking a seat in a lonely chair in the middle of the room.

"Noah," she managed to say, walking slowly to where he was. She was unsure of how she to feel; she almost pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "What are you doing here?"

But he didn't respond, he just gave her an intense look and started to play the chords.

_I wish I could do better by you, _

_'cause that's what you deserve_

_You sacrifice so much of your life_

_In order for this to work._

_While I'm off chasing my own dreams_

_Sailing around the world_

_Please know that I'm yours to keep_

_My beautiful girl_

_When you cry a piece of my heart dies_

_Knowing that I may have been the cause_

_If you were to leave_

_Fulfill someone else's dreams_

_I think I might totally be lost_

_You don't ask for no diamond rings, no delicate string of pearls_

_That's why I wrote this song to sing_

_My beautiful girl_

The room elapsed into a petrifying silence, with the exception of Shelby's sniffles. She was about to speak but Noah started to play the song again, although this time the rhythm of the music had changed. Out of nowhere Sam, Jesse and Bobby appeared dancing. Shelby started to giggle when they stood up next to her.

"_While I'm off chasing my own dreams… guys!" _Noah yelled at the end.

"My own dreams," the choir serenaded Shelby.

"_Sailing around the world, please know that I'm yours too keep my beautiful girl_" Noah sang, smiling at Shelby who had her face buried in her hands.

"_You don't ask for no diamond rings, no delicate string of pearls, that's why I wrote this song to sing. My beautiful girl_"

Bobby, Jesse and Sam dropped themselves of the floor. "My beautiful girl!" they chanted in a high tone.

Shelby stayed quiet for a few seconds; she cleared her face up before walking towards Noah wearing an expression which was very hard for him to read. Meanwhile Bobby, Sam, Jesse, Santana and Brittany were watching the whole situation from outside.

"You guys think it worked?" Sam asked.

Jesse frowned. "Yeah, I mean she looked happy, right?"

"I don't know, remember the show face," Santana reminded them unsure.

Brittany shushed them. "Look! She's in front of him!"

Puck could feel his own heart beating. He needed to know if the plan had worked, and it seemed like Shelby was taking all the time in the world to say something to him, and it was slowly killing him. He smiled goofily at her. "Shelby," he started, but he couldn't finish because she was slapping him.

"Leave Noah," she ordered with a look in her eyes that could've killed anyone in that room.

"But," he tried one last time…

"I said leave!" she yelled at him.

Outside the guys were looking at the scene with their jaws dropped. "Cough up guys," Bobby whispered.

"Um, guys? I think we can arrange this outside we should go!" Sam said noticing Shelby was approaching the door.

* * *

><p>I promise I PROMISE, you won't regret choosing the split once you read the other half on my next update. But until then you can all hate me!<p>

Take care everybody, have a nice week!


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's Note: **Hey everybody! happy Monday here's the other half of my last update, thank you so much for your feedback last week, I'm glad you liked the chapter, even though it seemed like everything happened too quickly. But I'm pretty sure once you read this everything will make more sense!

As always I would like to thank my awesome Beta Reader **Badassmothershucker94 **you already know what happens here! but I can't wait to know your thoughts

**Puck's song**: Yes, he sings again! you probably know the song, but just in case it's called **"Daylight"** and it's by **Maroon 5,** here's a link if you guys wanna check it out: watch?v=Wg9Urm2_7xQ

Anyways enough of my rambling, enjoy chapter 34!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXXIV<strong>

Shelby stormed out of the building, clearing some tears from her face. She was happy of seeing Noah again after so much time, but she knew why she was there so unexpectedly, he was getting deployed, and she couldn't just run into his arms and tell him he had missed him, especially if that meant she would not hug him again in a long time. Pretending she was mad at him was much easier.

Noah stayed in silence with his left hand resting on his cheek, he felt like the stupidest guy in the whole world. He dropped his guitar on the floor and started to pace around the room moving his hands around and mumbling some things. He knew the plan wasn't going to help, Shelby hated him and there was no chance he could ever fix the messed he had caused.

Santana returned to the rehearsal room where she joined Noah, who was sitting on the floor with his face buried in his hands "I'm so fucking stupid" he muttered "This is all my fault I lost the most important person of my life, the only woman who I want to spend my life with"

Santana pulled him into a hug "And it scares the shit out of me to know that I'm leaving and she doesn't even want to talk to me"

"It's okay Puck, it's okay" she comforted him, hugging him tightly.

"I give up Santana"

Two days after that Noah returned to Ohio and went home, it was what he needed at the moment. Santana and Brittany didn't even try to stop him. Noah managed to see Beth just before he left, Rachel arranged that visit, and obviously Shelby wasn't there, the girl was sleeping but he didn't mind, it was better actually. He wouldn't bare saying goodbye to his daughter.

Once in Ohio Puck and Finn went to McKinley and spent a day with Mr. Schue and the Glee Club, and when everybody left they sat down on the bleachers near the football court just like when they used to study there.

"It looks smaller don't you think?" Finn asked, looking the football field where the current team was starting to do their respective practice.

"I don't know" Noah shrugged "Maybe it's not smaller, just less important"

"Sometimes I wish we could go back, life is more simple when your main concern is winning Nationals and hope to no get slushied"

Puck laughed "Yeah, it seems so far away now, and you know something? Soon enough we'll return here and no one will know who the hell we were, is happening already"

"Puck?" Finn asked

He turned to look at his best friend "If something happens to me, I want you to know that despite everything you have been a really great friend, and you have always been by my side, even when I was wrong. I admire you."

Noah smiled and punched Finn on his left shoulder "Finn, we'll return perfectly fine don't worry and I admire you too, you always believed in me, even when nobody else did. I couldn't have asked for a better brother"

Around the end of the afternoon Puck returned to his house and he was greeted by Lupin and he almost knock him off "Yeah, yeah! Calm down!" he chuckled rubbing the dog's fur behind his ears. "Mom I'm back" he shouted as he crossed the door.

Deborah appeared from the kitchen smiling at the picture of Noah playing with Lupin in the living room, he almost looked like he was seven or eight years old again "Dinner is almost ready Noah, go and clean yourself, we have company"

Puck scoffed "Clean myself? Who the hell is here? Prince William and Kate?"

A man walked behind Deborah and smiled at Noah, the shocked expression on the younger man's face made him chuckle.

"David" Puck exclaimed.

He nodded "Deborah, would it be okay if we talk outside for a minute?" he asked politely.

"Sure" she smiled "I'll turn off the stove"

David and Noah went to the porch and sat down on the stairs, Puck felt awkward that was the usual place where he took a seat with Finn, Santana or even Jesse "You are the last person I expected to see here" admitted Puck

"I heard you got slapped" David commented in a casual tone

"Oh and you came here to se how I was doing? How thoughtful of you!" Puck praised with sarcasm, before turning serious "Did she tell you?"

"It was Rachel, she called me" explained David "She also mentioned you are leaving with your unit soon, how soon?"

Puck nodded, still not understanding the reason behind the visit "I have to be on the post next Monday"

"That means you have two days left" said David, before sighing "Your mom, she's very nice I can tell she really loves you and your sister very much" he went on.

"She's everything I want to be when it comes to be a parent" Puck smiled

"I think you are already there," acknowledged David before getting up "I want to apologize to you for the way I treated you the first time we met"

"It's okay" Puck assured him "I'm a big brother too, besides, Shelby we both know she tries to act tough but she breakdowns and you were just trying to protect her for getting hurt"

"Exactly" agreed David "You've changed, but just a little I can see a spark in your eyes when it comes to Shelby"

Noah stood up from his seat and kicked one of Lupin's toys "Yeah well, it doesn't matter, does it? She doesn't want to be with me"

David began to look out for something in one of the pockets inside of his jacket "Noah the main reason why I am here, is because I wanted to give you this" he handed him an envelope. When Noah opened it he saw three plane tickets.

"That's a gift from me and my parents, two of them are for Holidays, those are for your mom and Hannah, we know they would like to spend some time with Beth and we don't want them to feel obligated to do that only when you are around, and the other one has an open enter, that's for you. It's our way to welcome you all to the family, and it case you are wondering, no Shelby doesn't know about it"

Puck was speechless.

"David I only have a couple of days left I can't leave my mom and Han like that"

"I know but, think about this: you and your mom at least will hug each other before you leave you will have the chance to say 'I love you' to her you don't want to leave before saying those things to Shelby do you?" David asked raising an eyebrow.

He didn't answer.

"Noah you owe that to her, you are this man I'm seeing right now thanks to her"

Hearing those words made Noah feel like he hadn't give anything to her in return "And I just made her miserable"

"Don't say that Noah, you made her dream come true, thanks to you she's not alone" he smiled "She made you decent, and in return you made her so happy" David said sincerely as he patted Puck's shoulder "We should go back inside, the dinner your mom was cooking smelled delicious, but before we eat I must know, will I see you soon, little brother? Oh and is it okay if I call you like that?"

Puck laughed and hugged David "Yes it is, and yes you will see me soon"

* * *

><p>The next morning Noah woke up before dawn and packed all his things inside his backpack. When he walked downstairs he found his mother, Hannah and Lupin waiting for him in the kitchen "I'm sorry I know I should be staying but…"<p>

"It's fine" Deborah assured him "We love Shelby too" she gestured him to take a seat with them and Hannah began to set the table. Noah could see how worried they were for him, but they still managed to put a smile on their faces, and cook for him his favorite breakfast. It would be a nice memory he was going to take with him.

He arrived to Shelby's apartment building around the end of the afternoon. It was the first time he went further from the reception and he could feel his palms sweating and his heart beating fast as he got closer and closer to the door. Puck shook his head firmly and pressed the doorbell.

"Who is it?" called Shelby

"It's Noah" he answered with a shaky voice, he was a soldier, he was going to leave in a mission, but that woman made his voice shake, Puck laughed at himself.

No answer, instead Shelby opened the door a little bit.

"Hey" said Noah "Can I come in?"

"What do you want?" she snapped at him.

"You" he said with pleading eyes "I'm leaving and I can't do it knowing you are angry with me knowing that the woman I love doesn't even look at me in the eyes" he paused "I think I'm strong enough to deal with the troubles and deaths and dangers, but I'm not strong enough to live a life without you"

Shelby smiled sadly at his words, she tucked some of her hair behind her ears and opened the door, but still Noah couldn't get inside.

Puck laughed rolling his eyes "Here I am waiting, I'll have to leave soon why am I, holding on? We knew this day would come, we knew it all along how did it, come so fast? This is our last night but it's late and I'm trying not to sleep cause I know, when I wake, I will have to slip away" he sang to her

Shelby finally opened the door letting Noah walk to her, he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her temple "And when the daylight comes I'll have to go but tonight I'm gonna hold you so close cause in the daylight we'll be on our own but tonight I need to hold you so close"

She couldn't take it anymore, she didn't to hide her feelings from him anymore, she understood she wasn't doing anything good for him and Beth, it was clearly to her that Noah was suffering as much as her. She hugged him, burying her face in his chest "I'm sorry"

He lifted up her face and cleaned some tears with his thumbs "I'm not angry"

She kissed him deeply, pulling him inside with her, leading him straight to the bedroom.

Around five in the morning Shelby woke up, feeling cold, when she looked around the bed, she couldn't see Noah. She grabbed her robe and went to the only place she knew she would find him; Beth's room. He was siting down on the floor in front of Bed's small bed, Puck looked extremely concentrated and his eyes didn't move from the little girl in front of him.

Shelby walked carefully towards him and hugging from the back "Are you okay?"

"Yeah" He nodded "Is just that, she's so big"

"She is" yawned Shelby, before kissing his left shoulder, it was then when she noticed something different on his skin, the light of Beth's night light didn't help Shelby but she was almost sure of what she was seeing "Noah did you?" she whispered running her fingers on the specific spot "get a tattoo?"

He tried his best not to laugh out loud; he didn't want to wake up Beth "You didn't noticed it before? Wow someone was busy!"

Shelby blushed "What is it?"

Puck turned his head and smiled "Beth's birthday" he answered simply before getting up, he grabbed her right hand "C'mon let's talk outside"

They sat down on the couch and Noah grabbed both of Shelby's hands "What's gonna happen between us now?"

"I want to be with you, but at the same time, It terrifies me that something bad could happen to you" Shelby explained.

"I know, and I'm sorry for making you feel like that but I think we can get through this, you are just as badass as I am! we're the ultimate mash-up remember?"

That comment made Shelby laugh and made Noah more secure about the things he was saying "I've been miserable these past few months, I feel empty without you, don't think that only because I got the chance to talk to Beth every once in a while I was okay, Shelby you are just as important as Beth to me. I missed you, and I know you missed me too" he paused "Shelby Corcoran, please be my girlfriend again" he begged making his puppy eyes.

"Stop doing that!" she whined smacking him on the shoulder. She locked eyes with him and smirked "I'll be your girlfriend again Noah Puckerman" she told him leaning forward to kiss him

"I won't let you leave my side this time, that's a promise" he whispered into her ears as he hugged her.

* * *

><p>The following Monday Noah was getting to leave with his unit, when he received a phone call.<p>

"What's up Rach!" he shouted.

"You sound weird, am I on the speaker phone?" she asked him.

He rolled his eyes sighing "Yeah I'm kinda busy and I can't pick up the phone"

"Well I just call you to say two things: The first one is that you better take care of yourself and Finn, and the other one is" she took a long pause "You are a chicken!"

"Hey!" he yelled at her "That wasn't necessary"

"I can't believe you didn't ask her" continued Rachel sounding incredible disappointed "I gave you my blessing"

"It wasn't the right moment, I was leaving the next day, who does that?" he explained

"A soldier Noah!" Rachel sighed "Fine, but really Noah be safe I'll see you soon"

"Don't worry Rachel I will, take care of yourself and Shelby and Beth while I'm away I love you"

"I love you too Noah" she said to him before hanging up

Before reaching to the door Puck took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror, he picked up an engagement ring on a gold chain and placed carefully around his neck. That would be his reminder if why he needed to return home safe and soundly.

* * *

><p>Do you still regret asking for the split? I hope not, sadly I still have a writer's block so if anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it that way I could work on something for next week. I will still try but if don't update is probably because I'm still working on the latest chapter.<p>

Have a nice week :)


	36. Author's Note

Hey guys! As you can see this is not an update, and I'm really sorry about that, I've been having a lot of other things to do lately and every time I thought I had the opportunity to finish the latest chapter something didn't let me finish.

Chapter 36 is almost ready, and I've already organized myself so I could finish it this week. I promise that before the week is over you'll have your well deserved update.

Thanks again for sticking around, I promise to make it up for the lack of updates these past weeks, I'll make sure you'll enjoy the last chapters of this fanfic.

I'll hope I read you guys very soon!

_Luthiem Vardamir_


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's Note: **Hello! I'm back it feels like forever since the last time I updated but life gets in the way sometimes. Anyways here's chapter 35 and I hope you all like it.

I'm gonna announce this already that way nobody will get desperate, I won't update next because I have a midterm next Monday and there's no chance I'll have the next chapter ready before the week is over, but I'll definitely be back the week after.

As always thanks to my amazing Beta Reader BadassMotherShucker94 cause she's pretty damn awesome.

Enjoy guys!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXXV<strong>

Shelby laughed at the image of Noah on her laptop screen. He was making crazy faces and acting like the goof he is most of the time. He looked tired but he didn't seem hurt and that was a relief to Shelby. They didn't have an organized schedule; they talked every once in while, whenever Noah found some spare time.

"Hey you," he smiled. "How's everything going?"

"It's going fine, we miss you though."

Puck scratched the back of his neck, making sure he wouldn't show the chain he was wearing by accident. "I miss you guys too, so much; I can't wait till I get back."

"Noah," Shelby started with a serious tone that immediately made him feel nervous.

Puck frowned. "You're not breaking up with me again, are you?" he teased, but deep inside hoping that they had now gotten past that phase.

She tucked some hair behind her ears. "No, I just want to tell you that I'm very proud of you, and I'm glad to be your girlfriend."

"I, uh…" Noah had trouble finding the right words to say. "Thank you Shelby, I feel the same way about you, I know this hasn't been easy for you. Shelby I…" he sighed showing a mixture of exhaustion and sadness. "I wish I could be with you and Beth right now."

Shelby looked at Noah and smiled sadly thinking about something she could tell him to cheer him up.

"Where are you going?" asked Noah when he saw Shelby getting up from her seat.

She returned a few seconds later with a piece of paper which had some sort of drawing, although it was hard for Puck to tell since Shelby wasn't showing it to him. "Beth drew this at day care for you," she explained as she lifted up the drawing.

"We have a little Picasso, don't we?" he laughed as he examined the piece of paper.

"_We_ have." It was the first time Noah had addressed him and Shelby as a family. She knew he had acknowledged her as Beth mother a long time ago, but listening to Noah calling them a family, made her own heart swell. "We most certainly do," she agreed before pausing.

"I know I've asked you this before, but do you have any idea about when you are coming back?"

Puck turned serious. "It feels like I've been here for too long doesn't it?"

Shelby just nodded.

Seeing Shelby's reaction made Noah feel bad about what he was going to say next, but she needed to hear it. "I'm not sure when I'm coming back, we've heard something about going back in a few weeks, but we're not sure if it's true. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault," she assured him, smiling. "I was thinking that maybe after you return you can come and live with me and Beth, if you want to, of course."

"_And I was thinking we should get married,"_ thought Noah, making sure his facial expression remained the same.

"I'd love to!" he said smiling. "And I'll help you pay the rent and everything," he added hurriedly.

"For now just focus on coming back safely," she stated, but it almost sounded like she was pleading, her eyes showed concern and it made him want to find a way to go to the other side of the screen to hug her, and make her feel safe.

But his words would have to be enough for now. "I promise," he told her with a smile. "I've gotta go now, some other guys want to use this."

Shelby frowned. "I'm sorry you couldn't see Beth." The toddler was spending the day with Rachel and Santana while Jesse and Brittany were having an "Adventure Time" marathon in Rachel and Kurt's apartment.

"I bet she's having fun," grinned Noah.

They stayed in silence for a brief instant, just looking at each other.

"I love you Shelby, I'll talk to you soon," he said.

"I love you too Noah."

Puck got up from his desk and walked outside to where Finn was waiting. When he saw his friend arriving he approached him with a huge grin on his face. "So? How did Shelby react to the news?"

He shook his head. "I didn't tell her, we're not sure if we are really going home in a couple of weeks so I didn't want to get her hopes up for nothing."

They walked outside to where the unit's truck and some other soldiers were waiting for them. Noah and Finn climbed in the back of the truck and took a seat. The weather was awful in Iraq, it was always hot and the sun most of the days was too much to even bare, but after being there for so long, Noah and Finn had managed to adjust to it.

"Finn, I want to ask you something."

Finn was resting his head on the header of the seat and his face was covered with his helmet. "Shoot."

"Would you like to be my best man?" asked Puck.

Finn almost dropped his helmet. "You're gonna ask Shelby to marry you?!"

Puck nodded. "I'm planning to ask her when we go home."

Finn sighed relieved and suddenly began to laugh happily. "Wow you are getting married."

"She has to say 'yes' first," Puck reminded Finn, which earned him a punch on his shoulder.

"Don't be so negative, you guys are ready for this. Yeah maybe you won't have the ceremony right away, but you two are ready to spend your lives together, so yeah dude, I want to be your best man." Finn said.

Puck became serious for a moment. "You won't have a problem if Jesse is the other best man right?"

"Why would I?" Finn shrugged. "I mean yeah, Jesse found out about you and Shelby before me, but I understand why you made that decision, but if you are asking because of Rachel then no, I won't have any problem. Puck I don't have anything against him, he didn't do anything wrong."

Puck smiled. "Good I just wanted to be sure."

"But I'm choosing the strip club for your bachelor party," Finn demanded.

* * *

><p>Deborah and Hannah arrived at Shelby's apartment. After they had visited her and Beth thanks to David's present Shelby insisted they could visit her anytime they wanted to. She wanted Noah's family to be around Beth, and having Deborah and Hannah around helped Shelby to deal with the idea of not having Noah around, because they truly understand how she was feeling.<p>

Mrs. Puckerman was cooking some dinner in the kitchen while Hannah and Beth were watching a Disney movie in the living room.

Shelby tried her best to convince Deborah to let her help with the dinner, but she forced her to sit still and not do anything, Shelby finally understood why Noah was so stubborn sometimes, he got that from his mother.

"Deborah?" Shelby began with nervousness.

"I told you, you can't help with the food," Deborah insisted.

"It's not about that," Shelby chuckled, before turning serious. "It's about Noah."

Mrs. Puckerman finished chopping some vegetables and placed them in a casserole she was making on the stove, then she took a seat next to Shelby. "Okay then, I'm all ears."

Shelby took a deep breath. "I think." She stopped to correct herself. "I want to marry Noah."

Deborah's eyes widened, but she didn't look mad, she looked happy. "Did he ask you to marry him?"

"No, not officially," she recalled Noah's drunken proposal the night after his graduation.

Puck's mom knew his plans, he told her about them the morning before he left for Shelby's apartment. Deborah was surprised he was so sure about his decision, especially since around that time he wasn't even sure if she was going to get back together with him. She was so proud she gave Noah his grandmother's engagement ring.

"You don't think we should get married," Shelby assumed since Deborah had been quiet for a few minutes.

"Oh no! I don't think that," she gasped. "I would be so happy if you two got married. Did he give you any sign of wanting to get married?"

Shelby tucked some hair behind her ears. "Not really, but I can't blame him, he's not in the best situation to ask those types of questions." She paused. "I've sometimes considered asking him."

"That's unusual," Deborah laughed.

Shelby raised an eyebrow. "Well my relationship with Noah is anything but usual," she pointed out smirking, before becoming serious once again. "I never actually believed in true love. Once Quinn and Noah allowed me to be Beth's mother, the idea of spending the rest of my life with someone involved Beth as well. The idea of having a boyfriend was replaced with the idea of finding a potential father for Beth, and for a while that seemed impossible."

She suddenly smiled.

"And then out of nowhere Noah became a part of my life and I realized he was everything I never believed I would find, and I know he's not perfect, but I'm not perfect either but I don't really mind that. I love what we are; Noah Beth and I, and I want to feel like that for as long as I can, and I want Beth to have Noah's last name just like he always wanted."

Listening to Shelby's words brought tears to Mrs. Puckerman's eyes. "What I'm trying to say here is," continued Shelby. "Do I have your blessing?"

"I really hope you and my brother get married that way I'll finally have a sister," Hannah shouted from the living room.

"Hannah Puckerman, stay out of other people's conversations," Deborah ordered trying not to laugh. "You have my blessing Shelby," she said happily before hugging her. "And for the record you don't have to marry Noah to be part of this family."

Later that night Shelby was in Beth's bedroom; she was tucking the little girl in her bed. She played with her curls that were no longer were as blonde as before. "Honey?" Shelby asked kneeling in front of Beth. "Do you love your daddy?"

Beth smiled. "I love daddy."

"How much?" Shelby continued.

Beth stretched her arms as long as she could. "This much."

Shelby laughed. "And if daddy lives here with us, would that make you happy?"

Beth nodded.

Shelby kissed her forehead and covered her with her blanket. "I knew you'd say that. Don't worry; daddy will come be back soon."

Beth moved her covers and tried to get up. "How soon?"

"Soon," Shelby stated. "Good night Bee."

"Night momma."

* * *

><p>A couple of weeks later Shelby was making some coffee for herself when she received a Skype call from Noah. "Noah I wasn't expecting to receive a call from you today."<p>

"Well, get happy babe!" he joked. "I have to make things quick alright?" He sighed, frustrated. "Turns out I still have to stay over here for a few more months."

"Oh," Shelby said with sadness. "I understand."

"I'm sorry Shelb, I really am," he told her sincerely.

"Don't worry you said you didn't know how sure it was," she assured him. "Will you try to call again later on this week?"

"Yeah and we'll talked more then, I promise. I have to go, I love you Shelby."

"Love you too," she told him before hanging up.

Once the phone call was over a pair of arms hugged Puck from his shoulders. "Did she buy it?" asked Santana.

"She sure did," answered Puck, grinning.

"Well now that you are back we have a proposal to organize!"

* * *

><p>That's all for now, thanks for reading and for sticking around with this fanfic, I hope you all have a great week, and in case you didn't read the AN I'll be back in two weeks!


	38. Author's Note 2

Hey guys! First of all Happy New Year! I hope you all had an amazing Holiday season! And I wish all the best to each one of you on this New Year that is just getting started!

Thanks to the ones who took a little moment to send me PM's you were very sweet and I appreciate that.

Now to my fanfic; I have no words to express how sorry I am for being absent for so many weeks. My classes got on the way and I had absolutely no time to sit down and write properly.

Luckily I found some spare time during my winter break and I started to write again. Sadly my Beta Reader's laptop is giving her some problems, and that's why we haven't officially finished the latest update. And to me, this is a team's work so if she doesn't read and fix the chapter I don't feel secure enough to upload it here.

I can't give an exact day of when I will be able to post something, so all I can ask for you guys is to be a little more patient, I know it's hard especially because I kinda left everything hanging, but I'm still here, and since in about 15 days my semester will be over, I would be able to sit down and write the happy ending you all deserve.

I love you guys! Take care and I hope I'll read you guys soon!

_Luthiem Vardamir_


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Note: **No guys, you are not seeing weird things this is actually an update. Again, sorry for being IMA for son long! I hope this makes it up for that. Since I don't want to disappear again, I want to make clear that my next update will be the weekend of the 27th. That's the week after my semester ends so I'll have time to sit down and write.

As always thanks to my Beta Reader **OursIsTheFury94** previously known as **BadassMotherShucker94**, for sticking around with me for so long! sometimes is hard to believe it.

With all being said, I hope you enjoy chapter 36. Happy Reading!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXXVI<strong>

It was early in the morning when a very loud knock on the door woke Noah from his sleep. He turned his head towards Brittany and Santana's bedroom, hoping to see one of them coming to the door, but who was he kidding? When those girls were sleeping they seemed more like rocks rather than actual humans.

Noah sighed and tried to go back to sleep, but the person who was standing on the other side of the door had different plans and started to knock louder. Puck almost thought the door was going to collapse at any moment.

"Get out here! I know you're in there!" yelled Jesse.

Noah mentally cursed his luck; he needed to know which one of his dearest friends had told him the news.

After finally accepting the fact that Jesse wasn't going to leave anytime soon, unless some random neighbor called the cops, Puck got up, dressed himself and finally opened the door.

"I was expecting a more loving welcome," he joked, but Jesse's expression remained stern.

"Downstairs, now!" Jesse ordered not caring how much he was raising his voice.

They left the building and got inside the first cab they saw. During the first few minutes of the ride neither of them said a word, Jesse only spoke when he explained to the driver they weren't going to any specific place, they just needed him to drive around the block for a little while.

Noah watched how Jesse tightly pinched the bridge of his nose, he looked like he was trying his best to organize his thoughts. Puck had never seen him so upset. It was actually very scary.

"I'm trying to understand why you're here," started Jesse, but he quickly stopped talking. "No, I'm trying to understand, why you've been here for a week and Shelby doesn't know!"

Puck tried to explain himself, but Jesse continued complaining.

"Do you even know how much she worries about you?! I mean it's not like I've seen her praying or something like that," he sighed as he remembered. "But she has this look in her eyes, and it's pure fear and concern. I've only seen her like that when it comes to Rachel or Beth."

"And here you are crashing at Brittany and Santana's place!" he groaned. "For God's sake Puck what the fuck are you thinking? Put yourself in Shelby's shoes for a minute."

Puck rolled his eyes as he continued to listen to his friend, he almost felt like he was a small kid listening to his father giving him a speech after doing something very wrong. And to him that was a very ironic situation to be in.

When he noticed Jesse didn't have any plans to shut up anytime soon, Noah just turned around and took a small box out of his left pocket. He opened it and showed the ring to Jesse.

"What the hell Puck?" he yelled freaking out.

He chuckled. "Now that I'm back, I'm going to ask Shelby to marry me."

Jesse analyzed the little box smiling. "Why you didn't tell me?"

"Well, I've been trying for a while but you haven't let me speak. Seriously man… I don't want to be in the same room with you and Rachel when you're arguing," Puck said laughing.

Jesse laughed too, and sighed in relief, knowing that Noah didn't have any plans to hurt Shelby.

"I haven't told her I'm here, because, well, I want to surprise her and I want it to be perfect," Puck explained. "You can't tell Rachel I'm here, she'll get too excited about this, and Shelby is her mother she could suspect something is going to happen," he paused. "By the way, how did you find out that I'm back?"

"Britt told me, you know sometimes she forgets the most important details," shrugged Jesse.

They stayed in silence listening to the casual noises of the city, until Puck spoke again:

"You are okay with all this, right?"

Jesse nodded, but his face showed concern. "Yeah it's just that this is something huge, I guess I have to give you my ultimate blessing, and also wish you the best of luck."

Noah smiled. "You know what would also help? If you agree to be my best man."

* * *

><p>"Hi monkey face! I know it's been a while since the last time we saw each other, and I'm very sorry about that. But just because you can't see me doesn't mean I stopped loving you or that I don't think about you. You and your mommy are always in my heart and there's not a day when I don't think about both of you. I can't wait to be home, please take care of your mommy, and give her tons of love from me. I love you Beth, and I love you too Shelby."<p>

"Again," Beth pleaded, as soon as she saw the screen turning black. She and Shelby were in Shelby's room watching a video Noah had sent them.

Shelby ran her fingers through the little girl's hair, before hitting the replay button. They had been watching the video every day for a week, but Shelby had reached a point where she didn't listen to Noah's voice anymore, she'd rather pay attention to the other details about him; like the way his eyes sparkled when he said his daughter's name, or how much the sound of his laughter relaxed her.

Shelby didn't even notice that a few tears were rolling down her face, until Beth tried her best to wipe them away with her tiny hands.

"Don't cry momma."

"I'm sorry Bee," Shelby smiled sadly. "I just miss your daddy."

The little girl moved closer and hugged her mother. Shelby sniffled quietly as she traced circles on Beth's back, until she heard her sleeping soundly. She turned off her laptop and carefully adjusted Beth on her lap so she could be more comfortable.

There was knock on the door, before it was opened.

"Hey," Rachel whispered peeping her head around the door of Shelby's bedroom. "Is she okay? Did she get sick?" she asked nodding towards Beth.

"She's fine," Shelby assured her. "It was me who wasn't feeling well."

"Oh I see," commented Rachel, stepping inside. "You want me to cuddle with you too?"

"I wouldn't mind," Shelby admitted.

Rachel climbed into the bed making sure she wouldn't wake up her little sister. She grabbed a blanket that was near her and covered the three of them. She tucked some of Shelby's hair behind her ears before placing a soft kiss on her temple.

"Have you been having trouble to sleeping?" asked Rachel.

Shelby shrugged.

"Mom, I know you haven't heard from Noah in a while, but I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just very busy and he can't communicate with you," Rachel rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "You are not alone, remember that. You have me, Jesse, Mrs. Puckerman, Hannah and the whole collection of Beth's aunties and uncles."

Shelby laughed. A part of her still found it a little bit odd that she was so attached to a group of teenagers, but then again she couldn't help imagine Noah telling all of them to keep an eye on her and Beth.

"Thanks, sweetie" smiled Shelby, feeling a little better.

Rachel returned the gesture, before grabbing the phone Shelby had on her night stand. "I'm gonna order us some pizza and then I'll look through your DVD collection, I'm in the mood for a Streisand marathon, what do you say?"

"Sounds perfect," Shelby replied.

* * *

><p>"What's with the board?" Kurt asked.<p>

Quinn laughed. "You're having a Glee Club fashback aren't you?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "I know it's lame, but we can write our ideas for the proposal here. We'll start with you Puck do you have something planned?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah but I need someone to take care of Rachel and Beth."

"Considerate it done," stated Quinn.

"Who will distract Shelby?" reminded Santana.

The four of them exchanged looks for a brief instant. "Jesse," they chanted at once.

Kurt cocked his head to the side, as he rested his index finger on his chin. "What else? Will you need flowers? Candles? Music? Are you going to sing something to her?"

"Actually," Noah began, obviously nervous. "I won't sing this time."

"He's freaking out," Quinn teased.

"You're gonna be fine, worst case scenario, she will say no," Santana told him, trying to lighten the mood, but she just made Puck more insecure about his plan.

"Maybe I shouldn't do it, maybe it's too soon," said Puck.

"No, it's not," Quinn assured him. "It's always scary to take the next step in a relationship, but you are more than ready if you weren't we would probably be trying to stop you."

"Shelby loves you, and you've both been through a lot. I can't picture her rejecting you," Kurt added.

Santana walked closer to the group and a gave Noah a long comforting hug. "She's going to say yes, and if she doesn't she'll never hear the end of it." She paused. "Also, Lima Heights Adjacent," she said winking at the group.

The four of them laughed. "Okay Kurt could you take care of the flowers and the candles thing?" Santana asked him.

"I though you'd never ask," he smirked.

"Quinn," Santana continued. "You take care of Berry and the little munchkin."

"And what are you going to do?" Quinn refuted.

She patted Puck on the shoulder and smiled cockily. "We are going to buy a nice suit for this guy, and maybe give him something to calm him down a little bit."

"I just need some booze," Puck admitted.

* * *

><p>Shelby walked to the front door of her apartment and grinned at Jesse who was charmingly smiling at her.<p>

"Jesse, do what I owe the pleasure?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Rachel decided to replace me with Quinn and Beth, so I came here so you could go out and have dinner with your favorite guy!"

Shelby's eyes widened and Jesse couldn't help but chuckle. "Fine, your second favorite guy."

"Sure, why not? Let me just get dressed," she said, gesturing for him to go inside.

Jesse smiled and got comfortable on the couch, while Shelby was in her bedroom. He waited for around 15 minutes, before he called the other guys.

"Okay I'm with Shelby, we will be going out in a little while, is two hours enough time for you to get everything ready?"

Kurt did some calculations before turning to Santana who gave him a nod in response. "Yeah that's, fine make sure she'll look pretty," he told Jesse.

He scoffed. "Please I'm dressed up nicely, I think she got the idea we're not going to a burger place or something."

"Fine," sighed Santana. "Just text us when you're heading back, and give us some extra time. If Puck and Shelby start to get too intimate I'm pretty sure Kurt and I wouldn't like to be there."

"Why are you smiling so much?" Shelby asked Jesse.

He just shrugged and kept smiling. "I don't know, I guess I'm just happy."

Shelby titled her head. "I'm guessing Rachel is the cause of this happiness."

"Most definitely," he agreed, still smiling.

Shelby stayed quiet for a few minutes, and all of the sudden she started to look agitated, like something was bothering her. "Please, please tell me you did not bring me here to ask for my permission to marry Rachel."

Jesse nearly spat his drink all over the table. "God, no, no," he coughed. "I'm not ready for that."

Shelby sighed, truly relieved. "Good, I love you Jesse, and I love how great you are with Rachel and I'm very happy that your relationship with her is progressing so well, but honestly if right now you asked for my permission to marry my daughter, I would say no, and I think Hiram and Leroy would agree with me on that."

"C'mon Shelby, I just wanted to go out with you for a while, is that so weird?"

Shelby raised an eyebrow. "I don't know you have this sort of suspicious look on your face, like you are hiding something."

Jesse reached for one of her hands. "Trust me, I'm not planning anything," he lied before changing the subject. "The specials sounded good, don't you think?"

She nodded in response. "You, Quinn and the others have been so nice to me."

Jesse took a sip of his drink before speaking. "Well we know how hard it's been for you to have Puck away for so long, and since we're like this big unusual family the least we could was be there for you."

"Still, you are not getting my approval to marry Rachel yet," Shelby reminded him, laughing.

"You have to let that go!" Jesse whined.

* * *

><p>Santana rushed into the living room. "They're on their way; we have around fifteen minutes to leave."<p>

Puck nodded and started to pace around the living room, obviously panicking. Santana immediately stopped him and held him from his shoulders. "It's going to be fine okay? You are more than ready. Calm down."

He tried to speak up, but suddenly found himself without words. "I'm scared," he managed to say.

Kurt grabbed his tie and fixed it. "Don't worry the minute you see her walking inside you won't be scared anymore," he said before he gave Noah a bone-crushing hug.

Santana kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck, we'll be at my place, all of us including Beth, call us as soon as you can it won't matter how late it is."

And with that, they both left, leaving Puck by himself. He sat down and waited, repeating in his head over and over what he was going to say. His palms were sweaty and his heart was beating faster than ever.

Suddenly he heard a familiar sound coming from the door.

As soon as Shelby stepped inside her apartment, she became speechless. The whole living room was decorated with lilies and white candles, and she could spot a bottle of champagne resting in a bucket of ice at the back of the room.

Shelby walked to the middle of the living room and started to look around for the person she was hoping to see there. Noah waited until she had turned her back to him before approaching her and carefully covering her eyes with his hands.

"Is that you?" she asked with a cracked voice.

Puck placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. "I'm home," he whispered before removing his hands from her eyes.

When Shelby turned around and saw Noah she immediately hugged him. "I can't believe you're back."

He smiled. "Well believe it, because I have a very important reason to be here." He knelt down, and took a deep breath.

Shelby gasped and covered her mouth with one hand; she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"I've never been any good when it comes to words but I'll try my best to express my feelings," he started, with a shaky voice.

"Without you, I wouldn't be able to call myself a father, and have the joy of spending my time with the most beautiful girl in the whole world. Shelby you saved me from my worst enemy: myself. I'm lucky enough to be with this beautiful woman, I'm lucky enough to raise my daughter with you, and if you let me I will work my hardest to make you feel as happy as you deserve, because I can't see myself spending my life with any other woman."

Shelby was crying, and Puck could feel tears forming in his eyes as well.

"And I'm here seeing the most perfect woman in the whole world, because I want her to marry me, and all I can hope is that she will say yes."

Shelby wiped the tears from her eyes as she gave him a nod in response. "Yes," she managed to say, "I will marry you Noah Puckerman."

He stood up and with a shaky hand he placed the ring on Shelby's finger. He kissed her hand, and then he kissed her lips. "I love you," Noah said simply as he and Shelby started to dance slowly.

* * *

><p>That's all for now guys! I hope you have enjoyed it I wish all a great start of the year, hope I read some reviews! and i'll see you guys in a few weeks! :)<p> 


	40. Chapter 40

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay this chapter has been ready for weeks now, but everything where I live has been pretty hectic over the last few weeks, you can tell by now that this story is getting close to its end, so you'll probably have one more chapter or two after this one. But don't worry I have a little suprise for all of you fellow Shucklings, so keep your eyes on my new stories!

As always thanks to my Beta Reader **"OurIsTheFury94"** for the awesome work, to each one of you you have been following this fic for so long.

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><p><strong>Chapter XXXVII<strong>

Puck couldn't believe everything that had happened to him during the past few hours; he was engaged. He was still getting used to the idea of being back home, and now he was fully commited to Shelby, and he couldn't happier.

He was lying in Shelby's bed, watching how she slept by his side. She looked so relaxed, so happy and it made him feel sure about the decision he had made.

Shelby began to move around, and Noah immediately moved the sheets closer to her body, but that didn't stop her from waking up "Hi," she mumbled with a tired smile.

Noah returned her smile. "You should go back to sleep."

She shook her head and reached out for a hairbrush on her nightstand. She carefully brushed her hair and fixed it into a high ponytail. "Are you okay?"

Puck leaned forward and gave her a peck on the lips. "You're kidding right? I couldn't be happier, I wanted to go out on to the balcony and scream 'I'm engaged! I'm engaged!'" he joked, sighing deeply.

He went quiet for a second. "Are you sure about this? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

Shelby moved closer to him and cupped his face between her hands. She spent a few seconds looking in his hazel eyes; they looked so different, but she could still find a glimpse of the Noah she met years ago. "I stopped caring about what other people might think about us a while ago, I don't care, as long as we are happy."

"Just checking," he whispered, before he grabbed Shelby's hands and kissed them. "I need to ask, how was everything here while I was away? And by that I mean how you were doing?"

They stayed silent for a while again. Despite the lack of light in the bedroom, Noah could tell Shelby was trying to find the best way to tell him about the time they had spent apart, but she just hugged him tightly, buring her face in the base of his neck. "I missed you, Beth missed you too…" she paused. "I just felt scared all the time, Noah. You have always seemed so strong, so capable of doing things by yourself my biggest fear was that something very bad could happen to you and that you wouldn't be the same."

Shelby analyzed Noah's skin, tracing her fingers on his shoulders, like she was trying to memorize every detail about the young man. "Were you scared?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. "But I was more scared of not coming back, of not seeing you again." He started laughing. "But now there's something that terrifies me even more," he said with a shaky voice.

Shelby detached herself from him and gave Noah a concerned look. "What is it?"

"All the wedding preparation!" he whined as he buried his face in one of the pillows.

Shelby rolled her eyes, but deep inside she was glad that Noah was still the same goofy and charming young man she fell in love with. She laid down next to him and removed the pillow from Noah's face and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw him pouting. "It will be fine," she promised before kissing him.

The following morning Noah was making some pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and orange juice for breakfast while Shelby was enjoying a cup of coffee.

"The apartment is too quiet without Beth running around," she commented, and almost immediately there was a knock on the door.

"Just a sec!" Puck yelled as he turned down the heat.

He started to walk towards the door, but somebody opened it, before either Noah or Shelby could reach it. Rachel, Quinn, Beth Jesse, Kurt, Santana and Brittany all ran inside the apartment.

Quinn and Beth were the firsts one who hugged Noah. "I'm sorry we couldn't wait any longer!" she whispered. "I'm so proud of you!"

Puck smiled and picked up his little girl. He couldn't believe how big she was. He kissed her on the nose before kneeling down on the floor with her.

"I'm sorry, I'm looking for a baby girl and I can't find her anywhere. For a minute I thought she was you! But you're too big. Do you know her? Her name is Beth, but I called her monkey face," he asked with a very serious voice.

Beth giggled. "It's me dadda!"

"No way!" He looked a Shelby who played along with the game. "Yes Noah that's her."

Beth hugged her father with all the strength she could find. "I love you daddy."

Puck could feel tears forming in his eyes. He shut his eyes firmly and felt a couple of tears falling. "I love you too monkey face," he sniffed letting her go. He kissed her on the forehead before turning serious.

"Beth, I want to ask you something very important okay?" Noah began.

She nodded in response.

"I love you, you are my favorite girl in the whole world…"

Shelby cleared her throat, which caused everyone in the room to laugh a little bit.

"Fine," Noah grunted even though he wanted to laugh as well. "You and your mommy are my favorite girls in the whole world. You make me so happy, you are the greatest girl. You are beautiful." He paused and looked at Quinn briefly. "Like your mother, and smart like me!" He laughed. "What I'm trying to say here is… Beth would you let me be your real daddy? And that way I could live with you and mommy and take you to school and be here with you for as long as you need me?"

Beth gave Noah a serious look. She turned to look at her mom, who was sitting at the table holding hands with Rachel. Both were wiping tears from their eyes. She went back to her father and just ran to his arms.

Puck lifted her up and drew circles on her back. "I will always be here for you and your mommy, I will never leave your side," he promised her.

Everybody in the apartment was sniffing. "Well, um?" said Jesse, clearing his throat. "I can see Puck was making some pancakes, I hope you made enough for all of us."

"Mom, it's beautiful," Rachel shrieked glancing at the engagement ring on her mother's hand. "I can't wait to help you prepare everything for the wedding! Sarah is going to be so happy, we have to pick a date, and a location, will it be a Jewish wedding?"

"Jeez Berry, stop you're gonna cause Shelby to have an aneurism," Santana scoffed with a mouth full of pancakes. "Let's just be happy she and Beth said yes, the rest is not important."

"But," Rachel insisted, but Shelby cut her off.

"Honey, I'm not twenty years old, I don't have that crazy fantasy of the perfect wedding and reception. At least not anymore," Shelby stated. She looked at Noah who was talking eagerly with someone over the phone, she guessed it was Finn or his mother. She turned to face Rachel who looked upset. She understood that her daughter just wanted to see her mother have a perfect wedding.

"I just want something simple, something that represents Noah, Beth and me," said Shelby firmly.

Rachel nodded. "That fits you guys more, and as long as you're happy I'll be happy." She got up and went with Santana to get more food, leaving Quinn and Shelby alone at the table.

Quinn was busy playing with Beth as they ate their breakfasts. Shelby felt the urge to talk with her about something that was bothering her a little bit.

"Are you okay with all this?" she blurted out.

Quinn turned to face the older woman. "What do you mean?"

"This engagement," Shelby clarified with a serious tone.

Quinn shrugged and gave Beth a piece of bacon. "We've talked about this before."

"I know we have, but around that time nothing about the future of my relationship with Noah seemed certain. But now it seems a little unfair for you, Quinn. After all Noah is going to be Beth's father, she will acknowledge him as that."

Quinn played with Beth's hair before answering. "I can't be mad at you for something that's not your fault. You and Puck didn't ask to fall in love with each other, it just happened. I have to admit that a part of me always wished that a part of us could stay with Beth and I'm glad that it's him. You are Beth's mother, and as long as she has a father that loves her as much as we do I'll be happy."

"Thank you," Shelby smiled.

Later that day, Puck was talking over the phone for the second time, but unlike the first, he didn't look pleased about the phone call. Shelby had been watching him from the corridor,; he wasn't saying much, he just nodded and said an occasionally "Yes" or "I understand." Shelby patiently waited until he was done with the call to walk over him.

He was siting on the couch, and she grabbed one of his hands. "Is everything okay?"

Noah ran his thumb over her fingers, stopping on the finger that held the engagement ring. "It looks good on you," he grinned, but Shelby still looked concerned. "Don't worry everything's fine," he assured Shelby with a smile.

"Get dressed, we are going out," Shelby told him, almost sounding like an order.

"Where?"

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><p>Noah was standing still, like when he was listening to his sergeant. He was breathing loud, and he wasn't able to keep his hands still. Shelby couldn't help but laugh, she could have sworn he was about to faint right in front of the door. She grabbed his left hand and intertwined their fingers, hoping that would make him feel more calm.<p>

"Calm down, no one wants to go to the emergency room tonight," she teased him.

"Shelb, this is not fair, I'm not ready for this. I mean I'm not the type of guy who girls introduce to their parents, at least not like this. I usually got caught making out with someone's daughter on the couch," Noah explained nervously. They were standing outside's David's house. He, Sarah and their children lived outside New York and they were expecting a visit from Shelby that day since Shelby's parents were visiting for the weekend.

"Then how do you expect to be ready when Beth comes to the house with someone she's been dating?" Shelby asked.

Puck laughed. "That's simple. Beth's not going out on a date's until she's 21. You hear that?" he said to the little girl who was holding Shelby's left hand.

Puck was about to continue with his rant but the front door was opened and he was forced to be quiet.

Sarah looked at the trio and smiled widely at the sight of Noah. "Hey, guys!" she greeted them as she hugged Shelby. "You didn't tell me Noah was back."

"I didn't know until yesterday," Shelby explained laughing.

"Well don't worry Noah, we have enough food for everybody, how do you feel coming back home after so long?" Sarah asked him, as they entered the house.

Noah stayed silence for a second. "It feels good," he replied simply, looking slightly uncomfortable.

The sound of eager footsteps interrupted the conversation. It was Logan and Seth, who were running down the stairs. They were shouting something but once they saw the new guests that had arrived they went quiet.

"Aren't you going to say hi to your favorite aunt?" Shelby teased the pair.

Both of them giggled and ran into her arms. "You guys are so big!" she gasped looking at them.

"Who are you?" asked Seth looking at Noah.

Before Shelby or Noah could respond, Beth answered her cousin. "He's my daddy."

"Oh," the twins nodded. "Are you the soldier?" continued Logan.

"Honey, don't be rude!" Sarah ordered.

But Noah just smiled and knelt down in front of them. "It's okay, yes I'm a soldier."

"Do you wanna play with us?" they chanted at once, making the most adorable expression ever. "Please."

"Sure, but I have to say hello to your father, and to your grandparents first," replied Noah with a smile.

Logan and Seth grabbed one of Noah's hands each, dragging him to the living room. "Dad!" they started to yell.

Sarah, Shelby and Beth remained in the entrance, fixing the coats in the closet. It was when Shelby handed Sarah her coat that she noticed the ring on her hand. Sarah's eyes widened in excitement. "Oh my God!" she gasped whispering.

Shelby bit her bottom lip

"When did it happen?" shrieked Sarah.

Shelby played with the ring on her hand. "Last night."

Sarah hugged Shelby again, and then she hugged Beth. "I'm so happy for both of you, he's great. A little shy but he's a great guy."

They started to walk inside the living room, and as soon as Beth spotted her grandfather she ran over to him.

"He's not shy, he's just nervous you may not like him," continued Shelby.

Shelby watched Noah playing with the twins and couldn't help but smile at the picture. They were outside and he was carrying one of them on his back while the other was trying to catch them. It made her wonder if Noah would like to have a son. Shelby knew how much he loved Beth, but since he never truly had the experience of a father and son relationship she imagined he would like to have one.

She walked outside and called them inside. She ruffled Logan and Seth's hairs as they ran past her. Shelby looked at Noah and smiled at him.

"Did you have fun?"

"They're great kids," he smiled, but he turned his head when Shelby tried to kissed him.

"Noah?"

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "It's just that, your parents are there, and your brother."

Shelby crooked an eyebrow trying not to laugh at his adorableness. "You get scared of the most funny things." She pecked him on the lips before continuing, "Let's go, I want my family to meet my fiancé."

They went inside walking hand in hand, and Shelby cleared her throat making sure she had everyone's attention. "Everyone I want to introduce you to Noah Puckerman, my fiancé."

Shelby's father got up from his seat. He and Shelby shared the same eyes, Noah couldn't help but notice. He could tell where Shelby had learned how to do her "Coach Corcoran" faces. The man stood completely still, and Puck was too sure what to expect but he was still surprised when the older man extended his hand.

"Welcome to the family," he stated simply.

Shelby and Noah exhaled, feeling intense relief as he returned the gesture.

"I made you nervous, didn't I?" laughed the older man.

Puck nodded.

After that rest of the evening went quite well, and once Noah was more relaxed he let the family see his real self, something that made Shelby very happy.

Shelby's parents insisted that they should set a date for their wedding, but the couple insisted it was too soon for that.

During the evening, Noah got the chance to know another side of Shelby, and he was happy knowing that her family accepted him just as much his family and friends accepted Shelby in his life.

That same night, back at home Shelby found Noah on the phone again, but she wasn't able to understand what he was saying. Puck hung up the phone and sat down on the couch. "You can come now, I'm done talking," he said in a serious tone that almost made her scared.

In the dark Puck found Shelby's hand and took it. "You have to go back, don't you?" Shelby asked quietly, not even looking at him.

"Just for a while, it will be my last service I promise," he said, squeezing her hand.

Shelby stayed quiet.

"When I come back, we can have the perfect wedding you always wanted," he told her trying to cheer her up, but she didn't answer, so Noah pulled her closer to him. Shelby just hugged Noah for a while until he spoke again. "You can come here too," he whispered.

When Shelby turned around she saw Beth watching them from the hallway. She walked towards them and climbed up onto the couch. "You not sleepy?" Noah asked her tickling her belly, which cause Beth to laugh.

With Beth's help, Noah built a fort for her with the cushions of the couch while Shelby pull out all her blankets, pillows and her favorite stuffed animals. In the end the three of them found themselves laying on the cushions singing and playing together. Eventually Beth managed to fall asleep hugging her dad's chest. Noah was looking at Shelby across from him and grabbed her hand.

"I love you," he mouthed.

Shelby rolled her eyes. "I love you too," she traced circles lightly on Beth's back. "I don't want a fancy wedding Noah," she stated.

She looked at Beth hugging Noah so tightly that it looked like she was trying to make him stay with her. "Thank god, I don't want that either, but I have to admit Beth would look lovely as our flower girl."

That comment made Shelby smile, he was right. "Maybe she could be Jesse and Rachel's flower girl, who knows?" She paused, and moved slightly closer to them."You know what would look nice too?" she asked Noah. "A little boy in a tux."

"You mean like, Logan and Seth wearing a tux?"

Shelby shook her head. "I meant a little boy wearing a Mohawk like you, in a tux."

Noah went silent. He didn't understand what Shelby was trying to say to him. "Yeah that would be very badass," he said smiling.

"You looked adorable playing with the boys today, I know you love Beth with all your heart but I'm sure that you would be an amazing father for a little boy too." Shelby went on.

"If I had a son, I would make sure he'll respect girls, and that he always uses a condom," he stated.

Shelby laughed. "Good call." She could feel her eyes closing. "I don't want to wait until you are back to get married," she yawned.

Shocked by that Puck tried to get up, but he was afraid of waking up Beth. He carefully moved her to one of the sides, put a blanket over her and then he sat down across from Shelby who was waiting for him. He grabbed her hands and smiled. "Are you sure you want this? What about Rachel?"

"She'll understand I'm sure about that," Shelby assured Noah. "After all we've been through I don't want a lot of guests, or a dress or a big cake. I just want to be your wife so you can adopt our daughter."

Noah smiled widely and leaned forward to kiss Shelby. He couldn't believe what he just heard, his dream was finally coming true. "So what are you doing tomorrow?" he grinned.

"We came as soon as we heard!" shrieked Rachel entering Shelby's apartment with a much calmer Finn and a very sleepy looking Jesse.

Noah made his way over to his Finn. "It was all Rachel's idea, she booked me on the first flight here this morning," he laughed.

Puck laughed too and gave his best friend a bone crushing hug.

Rachel watched how Shelby fixed Beth's hair. She approached them and kissed Beth on the forehead, and then she kissed her mother on the cheek. "Nervous?" she asked, smirking.

Shelby was dressed casual. She was wearing a white blouse, dress pants, a jacket, and her hair was straightened. "No, I feel butterflies in my stomach but I'm just happy."

Rachel nodded, smiling. "I know this was all of a sudden, but do you have any vows ready?"

Shelby gave her daughter a stern look. "I'm Shelby Corcoran, I'm always ready, no matter how unexpected things are."

"You better get used to being called Shelby Puckerman, from now on," grinned Rachel.

Noah tried to call his mother, but he wasn't having any luck. He decided to leave a voice mail, explaining that he had big news to tell her and that she had to call him back as soon as she could. He looked at himself in the mirror one more time. He was wearing a blue shirt, dark blue jeans and boots. "You are ready for this." he said to himself before turning to the other's. "Ready to leave?"

A lovely lady received Noah, Shelby, Rachel, Jesse, Finn and Beth at the city hall.

Puck and Shelby approached her desk. "We're here to get married," said Shelby smiling.

The receptionist smiled at them as she took out some papers. After making sure she had all the basic information she needed from all of them including Rachel and Finn as witnesses, she finally asked. "Do you have any vows you would like to share?"

Noah was about to speak, but Shelby interrupted him. "Noah, I love you. Thank you for being the one who made me face my biggest fear, thanks to you now I have two lovely daughters. You are wonderful, and…" she paused because she felt she was about to cry. "Thank you, for never leaving me, no matter how many times I told you to do it. I promise I will always stay by your side."

Puck sniffed a little bit. "I'm sorry, I didn't prepare anything special to say."

Shelby laughed. "That's okay I already know how you feel."

The lady handed them the documents and indicated on each one where they needed to sign. After Noah signed the sheet of paper for the last time, he kissed Shelby on the lips. She signed the last dotted line and kissed her husband.

"Okay, now you only have to signe this last sheet," the lady explained to them. It was Beth's adoption papers. Shelby signed where it read "Adoptive Mother" and Noah did the same where it said "Adoptive Father."

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Puckerman, it's a girl, "cheered the worker, smiling.

Puck and Shelby kissed happily, finally enjoying what they had always wanted to have; a family of their own, while Finn, Rachel, Jesse and Beth, who had her eyes covered with her sister's left hand cheered and clapped for the happy couple.

"Come here Bee!" Shelby told Beth.

The little girl ran towards her parents and Noah picked her up. He and Shelby placed one a kiss each on Beth's cheeks. "You're stuck with us now monkey face, no matter how much we screw things up, we are you parents."

Shelby laughed and kissed her little girl.

As they exited the room, Finn and Rachel threw them rice and start yelling "Just married!" making everybody who was outside cheer and congratulate the happy couple.

"See Bee? How many kids can tell their friends their parents wedding dinner was pizza and ice cream? I mean how awesome is that?" Noah asked her.

"Awesome," she replied biting her own slice of pizza.

Puck smiled before pecking Shelby on her left cheek. "Look, I've been thinking, even though we didn't have the ideal wedding, I think we should go for our Honey Moon when I get back. We deserve that don't you think?"

"I agree with you," Shelby smirked.

"But just us, you and me," he whispered. "We can take Beth on another trip later on."

Shelby kissed him softly on the lips. "I like how you think."

"And I like you, Mrs. Puckerman," he grinned.

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><p>Hope this was worth the waiting, I'll see you guys on the closure of this fic<p>

Love you all!


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